Shaun Livingston Suspended 1 Game for Dirk Nowitzki Incident: Details, Reaction
The NBA suspended Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston one game without pay for his blow below the belt on Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki during Saturday's contest.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com shared the news of Livingston's punishment Sunday, which the league didn't take long to decide upon.
NBA.com notes that the flagrant-1 foul occurred with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter of the Warriors' 123-110 victory at Dallas' American Airlines Center.
Replay of the shot to the groin showed Nowitzki livid, but Livingston didn't appear to intentionally hit his opponent where he did. Nevertheless, he received a one-game punishment for the offense.
After the game, Livingston discussed the play in question and defended himself.
"He kind of sat back to create space with his lower area, and it was just bad timing," the Warriors guard told reporters. "Eleven years in the league, I haven't had a dirty play. It looked worse than it actually was."
Livingston has been a spark for Golden State's second unit, providing strong guard play and great length on the perimeter to spell the likes of Stephen Curry when necessary.
If the Warriors hadn't already clinched the Western Conference's best record, Livingston's banishment might be slight cause for concern. Since no remaining regular-season game carries much importance for Golden State, however, this suspension will prove to be inconsequential in the Warriors' bid for an NBA Finals berth.
