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Rajon Rondo fined for trip attempt on Jae Crowder

Dan Devine
Senior NBA writer

Rajon Rondo missed Game 3 of the Chicago Bulls’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics after suffering a right thumb fracture that could sideline him for the remainder of the series. Midway through Friday night’s contest at United Center, though, the veteran point guard offered an indication that whatever’s up with his digits, his lower extremities are working juuuuuust fine.

On Sunday, two days after the incident, the NBA fined Rondo $25,000 for “attempting to trip Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder” as Crowder ran back down the court right next to the Chicago bench:

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Near the end of a first quarter that saw the visiting Celtics hit the ground running, Boston guard Avery Bradley stole a pass from Chicago’s Michael Carter-Williams (one of the Bulls point guards pressed into heavier action in Rondo’s absence) and lit out in transition. He gained the lane, drew a help defender, and kicked out to Crowder on the wing. Crowder dribbled past an off-balance closeout by big man Bobby Portis before pulling up for a midrange jumper near the baseline that splashed through to give the Celtics a 33-15 lead.

As he ran back down the court on defense, Crowder passed in front of the Bulls bench. As he did so, the bench — and one member of it in particular — said hello.

Rondo’s outstretched leg narrowly missed making contact with Crowder’s, and the Celtics forward didn’t seem to notice Rondo’s leg movement, but many fans did, and it appears the NBA did too.

It is difficult to glean intent from a clip like that, no matter how many times you rewatch the footage … though it is perhaps worth noting, as SB Nation’s Tim Cato did, that this isn’t Rondo’s first rodeo when it comes to treating that balky knee with curiously timed leg extensions:

After the Celtics finished off a 104-87 drubbing of the Bulls that cut Chicago’s lead in the series to 2-1 and brought Boston within one Sunday victory of regaining home-court advantage in a curtailed best-of-three set, Rondo spoke with reporters for the first time since the Bulls announced his injury on Friday morning. He was asked whether he intended to trip Crowder up along the sideline. His answer:

“When you tear an ACL, your leg gets stiff on you every once in awhile,” Rondo said. “I stretch my leg out. I always do that throughout the game. I guess he was just so deep into our bench that it looked like, maybe, whatever may have happened.”

The NBA clearly didn’t buy Rondo’s explanation.

Rondo also told reporters that doctors told him he’d be out for “a couple of weeks” recuperating from the finger fracture, leaving it unclear whether he’d be able to return before the end of this series — Game 5 is set for next Wednesday, April 26 — or even when he’d be fully available should the Bulls upset the C’s and advance to Round 2. In the meantime, it sounds like we’re in store for more eye-catching ensembles on the sideline …

… and, if any Celtics again violate the sanctity of the Chicago bench, perhaps additional timely leg-stretching. Heads on a swivel out there, y’all.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!