Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell fined $15K for kicking ball into stands after 2OT win over Warriors
The move wasn’t malicious, but the NBA will fine players for kicking a ball into the stands every time
Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell was fined $15,000 after he kicked the ball into the stands at the Chase Center following their double overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, the league announced on Monday.
The Warriors threw up one last desperation shot as the buzzer sounded on Saturday night in San Francisco, but it was way off the mark. Before the ball could hit the court, Russell came running off the bench celebrating and kicked it up and into the stands behind them. Though it wasn’t malicious or even that aggressive, throwing or kicking a ball into the stands is a clear violation of NBA rules and will players receive a fine every time.
They just fined Dlo 15 bands for that kick. I thought y’all said the league loves the Lakers 💀 pic.twitter.com/vQC3ms9IsS
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) January 29, 2024
Russell had 28 points and five assists, and he made a team-high five 3-pointers in the win for the Lakers. Russell is averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 assists per game this season, though he’s averaged 25 points and shot just shy of 52% from behind the arc in the Lakers’ last 10 games. Russell, 27, was traded to the Lakers in the middle of last season from the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Lakers this past offseason after re-joining the team that originally drafted him in 2015.
The Lakers rallied back in the fourth quarter on Saturday night to force overtime, and then LeBron James hit a pair of free throws after drawing a foul in the final seconds to seal the one-point win. James had a triple-double with 36 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists to lead the Lakers. Stephen Curry dropped 46 points and had nine 3-pointers for the Warriors. Klay Thompson finished with 24 points, and both Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga dropped 22 points each.
The win marked the Lakers’ fifth in their last seven, and it brought them back above .500 on the season. They will take on the Houston Rockets on Monday night, which is part of a six-game road trip.
