NEW YORK, USA, May 28 – Having bench players rise and stand just off the edge of the court has brought the NBA’s Miami Heat a Ksh 2.9mn ($25,000) fine.
The Heat organization was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for violating league rules regarding team bench decorum in a 111-103 playoff victory Friday at Boston.
“On multiple occasions, several players stood for an extended period in Miami’s team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on, encroaching upon or entering the playing court during live game action,” the league said in a statement.
The actions notably drew the attention of television commentators when Heat reserves were intimidatingly near the sideline when a Boston player drew near to attempt a corner 3-point shot.
The victory by Miami pulled the Heat level at 3-3 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals series against Boston, forcing a seventh game on Sunday night at Miami to see which team faces the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, which open Thursday at San Francisco.
It’s far from the first violation for bench decorum in the NBA playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks were repeatedly fined for players being off the bench, drawing a $100,000 fine last weekend for a third post-season violation of the rule. The Mavericks were eliminated by Golden State in the Western Conference finals.
