Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball during the first half of Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
The Dallas Mavericks’ celebrations during a Game 7 win over the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs led to a $50,000 fine from the NBA on Wednesday.
The league announced that the Mavericks violated regulations dictating “team bench decorum” as Dallas was rolling to a 123-90 win at Phoenix on Sunday.
According to the NBA’s statement, “On multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood for an extended period in the Mavericks’ team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on or encroaching upon the playing court.”
The sanction led to a bemused response from Dallas coach Jason Kidd ahead of his team’s Western Conference finals opener on Wednesday night in San Francisco.
“I know about the fine. Just trying to figure out what we did wrong to get the fine,” Kidd said. “So, we’ll see (Thursday) why we got fined. I mean, who complained? It was a blowout, so I don’t think the fans were complaining. I thought the guys did what they were supposed to do. They were cheering on their guys. So we’ll find out what the fine is. But it is what it is.”
The league previously fined the Mavericks $25,000 for the same issue during Game 2 of the Suns series — a contest Dallas lost 129-109 in Phoenix.