DALLAS — The Mavericks have been fined $100,000 for “continuing to violate league rules regarding team bench decorum,” the NBA announced Sunday.
It is the third time the Mavericks have been fined for bench decor violations this postseason. The fines total $175,000 and double each time.
The league office statement cites the Mavs’ Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors multiple times, saying that “several players and one member of the coaching staff stood in the area of the Mavericks’ team bench and stayed away from the team for an extended period of time and were on the bench and were on or into the field of play during the game.”
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The Mavs were fined for similar violations after losing Game 2 and winning Game 7 against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Mavs made it clear at the time that they had no intention of dampening the enthusiasm of two-wayer Theo Pinson, injured guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and the rest of the bench.
“The league is worried about doing the wrong thing,” Kidd said after the first fine was assessed. “You have millionaires cheering on other millionaires. That doesn’t happen in this society. And the excitement of the game when a teammate is cheering on another teammate is something special. And I think sometimes we focus on the wrong thing. And so, if you look at people making a lot of money cheering on their teammates or their employees, it’s all about the sport. And so it’s cool that we get a fine, that’s cool. It goes to another good cause, charities. But again, we’re looking at the wrong thing.”
Once in Game 2, the reserves of the Mavs who were on their feet affected the game. The Warriors made a turnover when Stephen Curry mistakenly passed the ball to Pinson, who was standing and wearing a white shirt that was the same color as Golden State’s uniform.
“I don’t mind as long as it doesn’t interfere with the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Saturday. “I don’t mind. I love the fact that Dallas’ bench is energetic and trash and talks into it. I think that’s what the fans want to see. They want to see a team that cares and they want See energy and chemistry Well I love it but if it’s disrupting the game then it’s crossing the line.
“So that’s the only thing I worry about, when there’s a game that… if there’s a person on the pitch, a person getting up and yelling for the ball, it’s a little too much. But other than that, I really enjoy it. I think it is awesome.”