Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown has been suspended one game and fined $25,000 for bumping a referee and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected during Saturday's loss to the Utah Jazz, the league announced on Monday. Video of the incident shows the contact Brown made with referee Zach Zarba as not being particularly egregious, but it's hardly surprising that the NBA handed down such a significant fine.
Lakers’ Mike Brown Suspended One Game, Fined For Bumping Ref
Incident with referee on Saturday will cost Mike Brown $25,000.
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Brown seemed to be upset with no foul being called on Jazz guard Earl Watson, who started the sequence when he stole the ball away from Pau Gasol on the other end of the court. Watson knocked over Gasol near the foul-line and then finished off the play with an assist to Derrick Favors.
At the time of the technical, the Lakers were trailing by six. They ultimately lost by 12. In post-game comments (via the Los Angeles Times), Brown sounded somewhat apologetic:
“I was trying to give our team some juice and it didn’t,” Brown said of his ejection. “It cost us points and helped those guys win the game.”
For more on the suspension, be sure to check out Lakers blog Silver Screen and Roll.
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