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Mavs say Kristaps Porzingis was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' during bar fight

chris cwik
Staff writer
Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis.

The Dallas Mavericks believe big man Kristaps Porzingis was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” during a bar fight in Latvia that left him bloody. The team performed an investigation following the fight, and believe Porzingis isn’t to blame, according to the Dallas News.

The team spoke to the 23-year-old Porzingis before making that determination.

Details on the fight are difficult to come by. A source told the Dallas News that Porzingis was attacked by Russians. Some outlets have reported those Russians were gang members. TMZ believes Porzingis was attacked because he switched teams last season. Porzingis was traded from the New York Knicks to the Mavericks in January.

Video of the altercation was posted online May 12. The video only shows the aftermath of the fight. Porzingis can be seen with blood on his head in the video.

Porzingis was unable to play last season while he was rehabbing from an ACL injury. During that time, Porzingis reportedly told the Knicks he would go back to Europe if the team didn’t trade him. The team shipped him to Dallas shortly after that request.

Two months after the trade, Porzingis was accused of raping a woman in New York. The NYPD is investigating that claim. There are reportedly texts and emails that show communication between Porzingis, the victim and the Knicks.

Porzingis was able to practice at the end of the season with the Mavericks and should be physically ready to play next season. It’s unclear whether the rape investigation or the bar fight will cause Porzingis to miss time.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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