October 31, (THEWILL) –Â Â After his team’s 105-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing the ball into the Barclays Center stands.
With his team leading 71-67 in the third quarter, Durant flung the ball into the stands after Pacers guard T.J. McConnell fouled him while the forward was pushing the ball in transition.
However, the Pacers were unable to capitalise on KD’s technical foul, as Chris Duarte missed the subsequent free shot.
According to Fieldhouse Files’ Scott Agness, who cited the NBA Rule Book, Durant should have been ejected for the action straightaway.
“Any player who throws or kicks the ball directly into the stands with force, regardless of the reason or where it lands, will be assessed a technical foul and ejected,” Section V – Conduct: reads.
As THEWILL reported, after the game, both Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and Durant spoke about the incident.
“It’s something that is a significant thing that just can’t be missed,” Carlisle said.
“I tried to hit it off the backboard, but I still shouldn’t have even did that,” Durant said.”I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought I was at the gym by myself, a pickup game, not an NBA game. I can’t do that. I could’ve cost my team the game. It won’t happen again.”
KD had a big hand in the Nets’ victory over the Pacers, ending with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. With 5:15 left in regulation time, the Pacers and Nets were tied at 90.
Losing him for the rest of the game could have been the difference between victory and defeat.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
