The Cleveland Cavaliers won their fourth straight game after ripping the Toronto Raptors, 131-108, on Wednesday. The Cavaliers improved to 44-10, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the league heading into the All-Star break. While the game between Cleveland and Toronto was settled way before the final buzzer, it wasn’t without controversy. With only four seconds left, Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson made an emphatic dunk, breaking the so-called unwritten rule during a blowout.
After the game, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic slammed Thompson, calling the move “no class” and “disrespectful.” The 33-year-old Thompson, who’s in his second stint with the Cavaliers, fired back on X and didn’t hold back against Rajakovic. “You wanna full court press with under a minute left in the game when you get cracked by 30, this will happen to you,” wrote Thompson. “Lose for (the) draft lottery and be happy, buddy boy.
Thompson grew up in Branton, Ontario, which is around 27 miles away from Toronto. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson admitted that he was surprised by Thompson’s late slam, calling the incident “unfortunate.” “I’m not sure what he was thinking,” said Atkinson in a report from CBS Sports’ Chris Bengel. “Sometimes, though, you’re playing the game, and you just have a reaction. “I know with Tristan, there’s no bad intention there. I think just sometimes you’re playing, and the goal of the game is to score.” Thompson, who won a championship with Cleveland in 2016, has only played 28 games this season but provides a steadying presence in the locker room.
