Rookie Zarko Cabarkapa had both the best and worst games of his young NBA career during the Phoenix Suns’ 31-point rout of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
The 6-10 forward made his first start – filling in for All-Star Shawn Marion, who sprained an ankle in Tuesday’s loss at Denver – and put up Matrix-like numbers before going down with an injury of his own.
While flying in high for a dunk in the fourth quarter, Cabarkapa was shoved hard in the chest by Mavs center Danny Fortson and broke his right wrist in an ugly fall to the court. The 22-year-old, who recorded career-highs of 17 points and nine rebounds before being helped to the trainer’s room, is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
“I thought it was terrible,” said guard Penny Hardaway. “I don’t think Danny tried to hurt him, but he didn’t want to get dunked on. I think he kind of lost focus on Z being as high as he was and pushed him, and he lost his balance… But it’s bad to push somebody while they’re airborne.”
While Hardaway talked with reporters on one side of the locker room, Stephon Marbury sat down with Cabarkapa, who was holding his bandaged-up wrist and trying in vain to fight back tears, on the other. The Suns’ playmaker put his arm around his young teammate’s shoulders and shared a few encouraging words. When meeting the media himself, however, Marbury was not nearly as calm or comforting.
“Hell yeah, that (expletive) was intentional,” he said of Fortson’s push, which earned him an immediate ejection from the game. “That was a (expletive) play.”
Mavs Head Coach Don Nelson apologized for Fortson's actions following the game, while Suns CEO Jerry Colangelo and coach Frank Johnson said they would pursue a severe punishment from the NBA offices.
“That was just a flat-out dirty freaking play,” said Johnson. “Absolutely thuggish. He should be suspended for the rest of the year.”
While the Suns were upset over the flagrant foul, they were also disappointed at the thought of losing the good-natured Serbian, who has tallied 52 points and 26 rebounds over his last five games. The 17th pick in last June’s draft, Cabarkapa was feeling more and more comfortable by the game after missing most of training camp and the entire preseason recovering from hernia surgery.
“He was good, man,” said guard Joe Johnson of Cabarkapa’s performance Wednesday night. “He came out and played a great game. He knocked down shots, big shots at that. He was rebounding, playing good defense. He did everything that we could’ve asked him to do.
“You know, stuff like that happens in the game. It’s the NBA. But I really feel sorry for him, because he broke his wrist. It’s tough, man. It’s a key loss for us.”
Cabarkapa is scheduled to be re-examined and placed in a hard-cast on Thursday.
