Pallade Veneta - NBA fines Celtics coach Mazzulla and Nets center Claxton

NBA fines Celtics coach Mazzulla and Nets center Claxton


NBA fines Celtics coach Mazzulla and Nets center Claxton
NBA fines Celtics coach Mazzulla and Nets center Claxton / Photo: Maddie Meyer - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was fined $35,000 and Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Saturday for league rule violations at Thursday contests.

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Mazzulla was fined for "aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official," the league said in a statement.

Mazzulla took the actions at the end of reigning NBA champion Boston's 117-108 home loss to Chicago.

Claxton's punishment was for throwing the game ball into the spectator seating area.

In the game, Claxton was whistled for a technical foul and ejected after the incident, which came with 8:46 remaining in the second quarter of the Nets' 101-94 triumph at Toronto.

The 25-year-old American, in his sixth NBA season all with Brooklyn, is averaging 9.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.

The Celtics rank third in the NBA and second in the Eastern Conference at 21-6 while the Nets rank 10th in the East at 11-16.

A.Saggese--PV