NEW YORK -- Rafer Alston of Orlando and Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers were suspended for the next game of their NBA playoff series by the league on Thursday.
In the Orlando Magic's 112-94 loss on Tuesday, Boston's Eddie House was celebrating after making a shot when Alston reached out and slapped him in the back of the head. Each received a technical foul after standing face-to-face for a few seconds before referees intervened.
NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said Alston would have been ejected if the referees had seen the slap.
For Los Angeles, Fisher was called for a flagrant foul when he collided with Luis Scola, who was setting a pick, as the Houston Rockets brought the ball up the court. He was ejected.
Both players will sit out of games on Friday. The Magic are at home, tied 1-1 with Boston, while the Lakers will be in Houston. That series is also 1-1.
The league also assessed the Lakers' Kobe Bryant a flagrant foul one penalty for elbowing Ron Artest.
However, Bryant was not suspended because the league ruled he elbowed Artest in the chest area. Had it been above the shoulders - and Artest said it was his neck - the Lakers All-Star likely would have been banned on Friday.
"It's clear in our rules that we treat elbow contact above the shoulder area differently than we do other parts of the body," Jackson said.
