Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes said he apologized to his teammates and the Washington Wizards’ mascot in the wake of his one-game suspension.
Following the Lakers’ 105-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, Hayes told reporters he let his emotions get the better of him. He elaborated that G-Wiz had interrupted his pregame preparations.
Hayes served his ban Thursday as Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115.
The NBA issued its ruling after he shoved G-Wiz prior to the Lakers’ Jan. 30 matchup with the Wizards. He lowered his shoulder into the mascot as it was running toward the baseline.
Hayes started against Golden State and played 20 minutes, finishing with six points, four rebounds, one assist and one block.
The result extended the Lakers’ winning streak to three games. At 32-19, they sit in fifth in the Western Conference and only have one game separating them from the third-place Denver Nuggets.