The team's starting power forward, Kermit Washington, who was averaging 11.5 points and 11.2 rebounds,[92] entered the fight, and when Rudy Tomjanovich ran in from the bench to break up the action, Washington punched him in the face.[93] Tomjanovich nearly died from the punch, suffering a fractured skull and other facial injuries, which prematurely ended his playing career.[94] Washington, who stated that he assumed Tomjanovich was a combatant, was suspended for two months by the NBA, and released by the Lakers.[95] The team won 45 games despite being down a starter in Washington and not having Abdul-Jabbar for nearly two months, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Seattle.[96] During the 1978–79 season, the team posted a 47–35 record but lost to the SuperSonics in the semifinal round of the playoffs.[7]