Breaking three of Andrea Bargnani's teeth will cost Miami Heat forward Alexander Johnson one game.
The National Basketball Association suspended Johnson for Friday's home contest against the Golden State Warriors for throwing his body into Bargnani during Wednesday's 108-83 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Bargnani knocked his head on the floor at American Airlines Arena and broke three teeth on a harsh foul from Johnson as he drove to the basket with 9:57 left in the third quarter.
"I thought he was going up for a dunk, so I jumped and caught him off-balance," Johnson said. "I was not trying to hurt him."
Bargnani left for the locker room and did not return. He was to be re-examined on Friday.
"I feel a lot better now," he said, confirming that X-rays ruled out any facial fractures.
"Any time a guy leaves his feet like that and takes that kind of a hit and goes down hard, you have to be concerned," Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell said. "But it seems like he is OK.
"He is a little sore. But we don't expect that he will miss any time at all."
Bargnani scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter.
Friday, March 7, 2008
NBA bars Heat's Alexander Johnson 1 game
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