Mavericks Player Fined After Kicking The Ball Into The Stands
If you were watching the Mavericks game last Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, then you probably saw forward center Kristaps Porzingis kick the ball into the stands. Now, as a result of his actions, he’s going to have to pay up, since the NBA is now fining him over the incident.
Last Tuesday night, with only 8:21 left in the fourth quarter, Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson passed the ball the Porzingis, who then dropped the ball, which then rolled off his chest. As the ball rolled out of bounds, Porzingis then proceeded to kick the ball into the stands.
Now, as a result of his actions, the refs issued him a technical foul, and ejected him from the game. Even after the game is over, he is literally paying for the incident, since the NBA is fining him $15,000 over it.
I understand why Porzingis was upset after dropping that pass. It was a pretty tough night for the Mavericks. Not only were they behind by more than 20 points at the time of the incident, but earlier in the game, forward Tim Hardaway Jr was injured suffering a fractured left foot. The Mavericks ended up losing the game, 130 to 92. However, regardless of the score, there was no reason to kick the ball in the stands. At least one lucky fan in San Francisco got to take home a pretty sweet souvenir.
Was the NBA justified in issuing Porzingis the fine, and ejecting him from the game, or are they overreacting? You can decide for yourself, and watch the replay below.