Watch: Raptors’ Serge Ibaka, Bulls’ Robin Lopez Throw Punches, Get Ejected In 122-120 Toronto Win

Serge Ibaka scored 16 points for the Toronto Raptors in their 122-120 home victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, but it was his fight with Robin Lopez that stood out.

Serge Ibaka, Robin Lopez Ejected After Fight In Raptors’ Win vs Bulls

The Raptors forward and Bulls center were both ejected in the third quarter after exchanging punches.

Following a Jimmy Butler 3-pointer with 3:58 left in the third quarter, giving the Bulls a 16-point lead, Ibaka grabbed the ball and swung his elbow in Lopez’s direction. Lopez countered by knocking the ball out of his opponent’s hand, and then all hell broke loose.

The Chicago guard threw a punch that barely missed Ibaka’s head, and the Raptors forward responded with a jab of his own that also hit Lopez only slightly. Teammates and coaches from both squads rushed into the brawl to separate the two players, but by then the officials had determined, following a long review, that Lopez and Ibaka had done enough to merit being thrown out.

Besides each of the two players receiving “fighting fouls,” Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic and Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire received offsetting technical fouls after getting into a shoving match after the altercation.

“What happened is we were playing physical basketball and he got frustrated,” Ibaka, who was tossed for the fourth time in his career, explained to reporters after the game. “That thing happened where you just start pushing each other, like always happens when there’s contact, and then he throws a punch. You know, like a man, I had to defend myself. I’m not just going to be out there and watch a man like him punch me and just walk away. I had to defend myself.”

Lopez, meanwhile, received his sixth career ejection. He said he expects to be suspended for the melee.

”I think it was a really physical game, physical game for everybody,” said Lopez. ”Just kind of hit the flashpoint.”

Lopez added that he felt he “had three guys” on him, and that “nobody had any hold” on Ibaka.

Lopez’s twin brother, Brook, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets, said he had heard even before he beat Detroit at the buzzer Tuesday about what happened in Toronto. However, he did not side with his brother Robin, as many may have expected.

“Well, the Lopez twins were just both doing what we do tonight,” Brook Lopez said. “He was doing his dirty job … and I was playing real basketball.”

The Nets star added that “maybe we’ll get a grudge match. Who knows. I’m pulling for Ibaka, though.”

Fights like that don’t happen very often anymore in the NBA these days, and Raptors coach Dwane Casey explained why.

”Not anymore, it’s too expensive,” he said. ”Believe me, Serge Ibaka doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body, he’s a competitor, so is Lopez. I don’t think either one of them will go down as Rocky or anything like that.”

With the win, the Raptors snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Bulls. Toronto last beat Chicago on Dec. 31, 2013.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 42 points and eight assists. DeRozan set a franchise record with 38 shot attempts, of which he mad 17. Cory Joseph added 19 points for Toronto.

Butler led the Bulls with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Rajon Rondo added a season-high 24 points.

Chicago opened a 109-104 lead on Paul Zipser’s 3-pointer with 6:39 remaining in the fourth. However, Toronto responded with a 15-0 run, tying the game on Joseph’s layup with 1:50 left.

The Raptors took the lead for the first time on a turnaround jumper from DeRozan with 1:23 remaining in overtime. Patrick Patterson had a tip-in layup to put Toronto up 119-115 with 44.7 seconds left.

Toronto leads the NBA with 18 comeback victories after trailing by 10 or more points.

A pre-game moment of silence was held to honor former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who died Tuesday.

The Bulls next host Detroit on Wednesday, while the Raptors visit Miami on Thursday for the third of four meetings between the teams this season.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 03: Serge Ibaka #9 of the Toronto Raptors reacts to being called for a second half foul against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center on March 3, 2017 in Washington, DC.