WI The Punch never happens?

On December 9, 1977, during a brawl in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, Kermit Washington, the power forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, punched Houston Rockets forward Rudy Tomjanovich in the face, causing a dangerous facial fracture that nearly killed Tomjanovich (nicknamed Rudy T).

It tarnished Washington's reputation (he had a reputation for being a good guy) and affected the rest of his career, even though he had several solid seasons as a forward and later became famous for his charity work and helped end Rudy T's career (although he later coached the U.S. Olympic Team and Houston Rockets and won gold and titles with both teams.)

So, WI the punch never happens? This certainly prevents Washington from being traded to the Boston Celtics OTL...
 
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