The Memphis Grizzlies absorbed a huge blow after the league suspended Zach Randolph for Game 7 of their first-round playoff showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Randolph was slapped a one-game ban after the All-Star forward elbowed OKC Thunder center Steven Adams in the midsection followed by a punch in the 6:42 mark of the fourth quarter of Game 6 on Thursday night. See video below.
Losing Randolph will put the Grizzlies in a tough situation since the veteran power forward has been playing well in the series, averaging a team-high 18.2 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds per game in the postseason.
And to make the matter worst for the Grizzlies, starting point guard Mike Conley could also miss Saturday night's game as he is dealing with a right hamstring strain.
Conley, who is averaging 15.2 points and 7.7 assists in the series, aggravated the hamstring he tweaked during a regular-season game against the Phoenix Suns last month. The cat-quick point guard went down in third period, and tried to return in the fourth period, but to no avail.
The Grizzlies held a 3-2 lead heading into Thursday night's game at the FedEx Forum, but the Thunder refused to let their title hopes fade, extending the series to a game seven.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers dodged a huge bullet as reports confirmed that Paul George will be available for them in game seven of their series against the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
After Indiana's 95-88 win, talks about a possible suspension intensified as George stepped on the court from their bench during an altercation between George Hill and Mike Scott before the All-Star forward was pushed back by Pacers assistant coach Popeye Jones.
Under league rules, players who leave the "vicinity" of their bench could be suspended by the league, but George got the benefit of the doubt as he was only seen taking two slow and short steps before he was restrained by Jones.
"We're planning for him to be here until we're told he's not going to be in there," Vogel said of the league's decision. "I think he stayed in the vicinity of the bench."
Game 7 will be on Saturday night, 8:00 p.m. ET, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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