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Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson fined $50,000 for interaction with officials during Suns clash
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- Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson fined $50,000 for interaction with officials during Suns clash
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The NBA handed a $50,000 fine to Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson following an on-court confrontation with officials during Cleveland's 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday at Mortgage Matchup Center. NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones announced the fine on Saturday.
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The league's official release said the NBA penalized Atkinson for "aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official." The incident occurred with 10:59 remaining in the fourth quarter, right after officials assessed him his second technical foul and ejected him.
The sequence started from a no-call involving Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill and Suns guard Collin Gillespie . Merrill attempted to drive past Gillespie on the perimeter, and Atkinson believed Gillespie committed a foul that went unwhistled. Atkinson stepped onto the court to argue the call, yelled at the officiating crew, and made contact with an official while continuing to protest before being the team staff and security escorted him off the floor.
The officiating crew for the game consisted of Mitchell Ervin, Nate Green, and Michael Smith. Atkinson's frustration had been building throughout the night. He received his first technical foul approximately four minutes into the first quarter, which he later described as an effort to slow down the game due to Phoenix's physical style of play.
Atkinson sounded off about the officiating during his postgame news conference.
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"We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that fouls 26th most in the league, and then I guess the second free throw we got was after a flop, right?" Atkinson said. "… I'm not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. I thought it got out of hand. Parts of the game, it seemed like circus-like, quite honestly. And I don't know if that's what we want as a league.
"Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don't stand up to them. And the game turns into reviews and challenges, and go to the monitor for 20 minutes when we're just trying to play basketball. I don't think it's good for the league. I know it wasn't good for us tonight. Just shocked, you know, again, one free throw after three quarters as aggressive as they were playing.
"I got an early technical to try to slow it down. We knew they were going to play super physical, but you've got to blow your whistle. You've got to blow it, and you've got to be fair about it. Even on that second technical, Sam dribbles the ball by Gillespie, and [Gillespie has] got two hands on him. He just stands him up with his hands. But in basketball, you're supposed to slide your feet and get in front."
The loss ended Cleveland's five-game winning streak, and the Cavs now sit at 29-21, still holding fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
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The $50,000 fine does not carry a suspension and will not affect Atkinson's availability. This was his second ejection of the season. He was previously ejected on November 10, after receiving a second technical foul in a game against the Miami Heat .
The Cavaliers will continue their five-game Western Conference road trip with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
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