June 6 (UPI) -- A Golden State Warriors fan was ejected after shoving Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry while he was sitting courtside during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The push came early in the fourth quarter during the Raptors' 123-109 victory Wednesday at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Lowry was chasing down a loose ball before he jumped into the stands while attempting to swat the ball back in play.
The attempt failed, as the ball hit a fan instead of finding its way back to the court. One fan -- wearing a Warriors jersey -- helped Lowry get back to his feet, while a woman nearby also helped the Raptors star recover.
But another man -- who was sitting next to the woman before she jumped out of her seat to allow room for Lowry's fall -- used his left hand to push Lowry. The Raptors guard looked at the man before walking back to the court. He spoke to a referee before shaking his head and turning his focus back toward the game. A member of the Warriors' staff walked over to the fan and escorted him out of the area.
Lowry told reporters after the game that the man also used vulgar language while addressing him during the sequence.
"There's no place for that," Lowry told reporters. "He had no reason to touch me. He had no reason to reach over two seats and then say some vulgar language to me. There's no place for people like that in our league, and hopefully he never comes back to an NBA game."
He also told ESPN that he hopes the fan will be banned from all NBA games "forever."
Lowry had 23 points and nine assists in the win. He is averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for the series. The Raptors own a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals entering Game 4 on Friday in Oakland.
