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Kobe reportedly escapes third suspension

NBA rules star's elbow was a flagrant foul, no further punishment

BryantAP
The Lakers' Kobe Bryant has been suspended twice for one game this season for unintentionally striking opposing players with elbows following shots.

Kobe Bryant won't be suspended a third time for an errant elbow.

The NBA, which was investigating the Los Angeles Lakers star for his actions in the first half of a game Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers' Kyle Korver, retroactively assessed a flagrant foul on the play, ESPN reported Monday.

Bryant was playing his first game back after serving a one-game suspension for striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric in the face after taking a shot. It was the second time Bryant has been suspended this season for so-called "unintentional" elbow to the face of an opponent.

Bryant nailed the San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili earlier this season in the face.

"I didn't think it was that big a deal," Korver told the Associated Press on Saturday. I thought it was an offensive foul. After I saw it on replay, it looked a lot worse than I thought it was during the game. It all happens fast. It's no big deal. It's just part of the game."

© 2012 msnbc.com

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