As if the loss in Game 4 Sunday night to the Hornets and the ankle injury to Kobe Bryant weren't bad enough for the Lakers, they now have to deal with the distraction because of the off-court actions of a no-name rookie. Derrick Caracter, the Lakers' second round pick out of UTEP last year who played in all of 215 minutes this season, was arrested early Sunday morning in New Orleans. NOLA.com has the details of Caracter's trip to IHOP:
He "started grabbing and pulling" a pregnant waitress, prompting the manager to go outside and flag down a police officer, Harper said. The female officer tried to defuse the situation, Harper said, but Caracter remained obstinate. The officer arrested him.
He was handcuffed and taken to Orleans Parish jail and booked with one count of battery for hitting the waitress, as well as one count each of public intoxication and resisting arrest. Each charge is a municipal violation, police said.
The Lakers and Hornets resume their first-round series Tuesday night with Game 5 at Staples Center.
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