Lakers’ Nick Young won’t face suspension following ejection

TORONTO — The NBA has decided not to force Nick Young to experience any more “Swaggy DNP’s.”

Young will not face any additional league-mandated suspension after he was ejected from Sunday’s loss in Detroit for both pushing Pistons forward Anthony Tolliver and delivering a forearm to his throat. Young was assessed a flagrant foul type 2 for the play with 8:58 remaining after taking offense toward Tolliver’s foul on a fast-break dunk. Per NBA rules, players who are ejected are automatically fined $2,000.

Still, it remains unclear if Young actually plays when the Lakers (3-17) visit the Toronto Raptors (12-9) on Monday at Air Canada Centre. Lakers coach Byron Scott issued Young two healthy scratches in the previous two contests, citing his preference to use Metta World Peace’s height advantage at small forward.

Scott originally planned to sit Young in Sunday’s game against the Pistons. But Young, who went scoreless on three missed shots, logged seven minutes for two reasons. World Peace picked up three fouls in the first half. Scott also cleared his bench in the fourth quarter amid a double-digit deficit. Young has averaged 9.0 points on 40.1 percent shooting in 19.1 minutes off the bench.

In his past two seasons with the Lakers, Young had sparked ejections for two different reasons.

Young shoved his right forearm into Oklahoma City forward Steven Adams last season after he set a hard screen. Afterwards, Young called Adams “a dirty player,” while Scott believed Young “definitely overreacted.” Although he was called for a flagrant foul type 2, Young did not draw any additional punishment.

Young drew a one-game suspension in the 2012-13 season, however, for committing a “punching foul” that hit the head of former Phoenix guard Goran Dragic. That situation stemmed from Suns forward Alex Len knocking Young on the floor as he drove for a layup. Young then exchanged shoves with Len and Phoenix guard Marcus Morris. Len was also earned a flagrant foul 2 and a subsequent ejection. Morris was slapped with a technical foul.

Afterwards, Young called out his teammates for not intervening. The Lakers then held a team-meeting later that week in which they apologized to Young for not standing up for him.

In his latest scuffle, Young admitted he overreacted and blamed his emotions on the season-wide frustration with both the Lakers’ struggles and his fledgling role.


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