For the third time in this season’s NBA playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have been fined for the same offense: violating league rules regarding team bench …
For the third time in this season’s NBA playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have been fined for the same offense: violating league rules regarding team bench decorum. The league announced the third fine on Sunday, a result of the Mavs bench’s actions against Golden State in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Friday. The fines have doubled from $25,000 to $50,000 and now $100,000 for the latest infraction.
“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 during game action,” the league announced in a statement endorsed by NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell. The tone of that statement does not reflect the league’s frustration with the Mavericks. The league believes the conduct of the Mavs’ bench impacts player safety, competitiveness and fan consideration. League rules state players during a game must remain seated while the ball is in play, except to react spontaneously to a notable play or report to the scorer’s table to check into the game; players not in the game may not remain standing at or away from team’s bench during game action; and bench players are prohibited from distracting opponents in an unsportsmanlike manner during game action.
