NBA: 76ers’ Nick Nurse, Kelly Oubre fined for confronting referees

Philadelphia 76ers’ Nick Nurse, center, and Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) react to officials after the 76ers lost an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

NEW YORK– Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse and guard Kelly Oubre Jr. have each been fined $50,000 by the NBA for their actions toward officials at the end of their 108-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

The league announced Friday that Nurse was fined for aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing game officials. Oubre’s fine was for verbally abusing and directing an obscene gesture toward game officials.

The game ended when Los Angeles’ Kawhi Leonard blocked an Oubre attempt at the rim.

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Nurse believed Oubre was fouled by Los Angeles’ Paul George while driving to the basket. Nurse went onto the court to argue and had to be restrained by assistants. Oubre pointed at each official before getting pulled away.

Referee Kevin Scott acknowledged in a pool report after the game that George should have been called for a foul on the play. If a foul had been called, Oubre would have gone to the free-throw line with a chance to tie or win the game.

“In real time the crew interpreted that play as the defender jumping vertically,” Scott said in a pool report. “However, in post-game video review we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been ruled.”

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Oubre later apologized for confronting the officials.

“In the heat of the moment in an intense basketball game of course and we’re not perfect. The refs are not perfect,” Oubre said at the time. “I want to apologize for losing my cool, because that’s something I work on each and every day and trying to represent God in the best way that I can. And that wasn’t it.”