NBA: Mavericks fined $750,000 after benching stars in Bulls loss

LOS ANGELES -- The Dallas Mavericks have been fined $750,000 fine after controversially fielding a weakened team in their loss to the Chicago Bulls earlier this month, the NBA said Friday.

The NBA said the Mavericks abrupt decision to hold out five key players in a game they had to win in order to have a chance of reaching the postseason represented "conduct detrimental to the league."

"The Dallas Mavericks' decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport," said Joe Dumars, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations.

"The Mavericks' actions failed our fans and our league."

The NBA said the Mavericks' decision was made to improve the franchise's chances of retaining a first round pick in the 2023 draft.

The Mavericks still owe a first-round pick to the New York Knicks as part of the trade for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019.

But if the NBA's draft lottery determines they have a top-10 selection, they don't have to give it up. A lower finish in the overall standings increases the odds of drawing a top-10 pick in the lottery.

"The Mavericks violated the league's player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization's desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft," the NBA said in a statement.

However the league said there was no evidence that the players who took to the court for the game were not playing to win.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd told reporters before the game that he had intended to field a full-strength side before being informed by billionaire owner Mark Cuban and the front office to rest Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr. and key reserves Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood.

"We were going to play until told otherwise," Kidd said. "And today is the day that we've been told that we're going to do something different."

It is not the first time Dallas and Cuban have fallen afoul of the NBA over the issue of "tanking."

Cuban was fined $600,000 in 2018 after saying in a podcast that he had told players and coaches that "losing is our best option."

Agence France-Presse

Bucks rally to defeat Heat

Finding a strong bench combination has been an issue all season long for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wednesday was no different, as head coach Jason Kidd moved Greg Monroe back into the starting five while relegating Miles Plumlee back to the bench.

The move paid off, as Plumlee hit 8 of 12 shots and scored 18 points as the Bucks rallied down the stretch for a 114-108 victory over the Miami Heat at the Bradley Center.

"Sometimes, we try to take a step back and try to not put an emphasis on starting," Kidd said. "You just play your minutes. Miles played the same way as he did when he was starting."

Plumlee and Monroe had switched places 12 games ago as Kidd tried to add some punch to his bench, which had been plagued by injuries and general ineffectiveness.

Both players responded well to the move, especially Plumlee, who averaged 6.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 19.1 minutes a night.

He wasn't the only reserve to step up in a big way for Milwaukee. Little-used point guard Tyler Ennis was pressed into action thanks to the season-ending injury to Michael Carter-Williams and a stomach virus that kept O.J. Mayo away Wednesday night.

He scored eight points with five assists in 25 minutes of work and had five in the fourth quarter as the Bucks re-took the lead and pulled away for the victory.

"We needed it tonight," said Khris Middleton, who finished with 22. "Those guys have been working hard all year long. They finally got a chance to play some minutes and really produced out there for us."

The Bucks held an eight-point lead early in the third quarter before Miami got on a little bit of a roll and grabbed the lead on a hook shot by Luol Deng that made it a 76-74 game with 3:49 left in the quarter.

Deng scored 11 of his 20 in the third and added seven more in the final quarter, but Milwaukee answered and tied the game at 89 on a Middleton jumper with 8:15 remaining.

Wade found Deng open in the corner to put the Heat back up three, but a bucket and two free throws by Plumlee put Milwaukee back in front.

A layup by Giannis Antetokounmpo pushed the lead to five with 6:07 remaining and Milwaukee held on for the victory.

"I don't think they really knew what they wanted to do with me and Giannis in the pick-and-roll, so it worked out for us," said Middleton.

"It's something that we've been doing lately with smaller guys guarding me and him, so it's been working for us."

Miami and Milwaukee both shot 52.5 percent from the field, hitting an identical 42 of 80 shots.

And while the Heat outperformed from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 15 compared to 4 of 8 for Milwaukee, the Bucks held an advantage at the free-throw line, making 26 of 37 while Miami made just 18 in 19 trips, and also capitalized on second-chance points, scoring 19 off 12 offensive rebounds.

But Miami's good shooting was nullified by carelessness; Milwaukee forced 17 turnovers which the Bucks flipped for 23 points.

"They had 66 paint points, we had 60. They beat us at the line. They beat us in second chance points," said Dwyane Wade, who scored 18 but was forced to play with four fouls for much of the final quarter.

"But as a team, we had just too many turnovers."

Josh Richardson hit three 3-pointers and finished with 14 points while Hassan Whiteside scored 23 off the bench to lead Miami, which had its five-game winning streak snapped.

The Bucks got 24 from Antetokounmpo and 23 from Jabari Parker while Monroe finished with 10 and eight rebounds.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kidd fined $50,000 for drink spill to delay game

NEW YORK - Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd was fined $50,000 by the NBA on Thursday for deliberately spilling a cup of soda on the court as a delaying tactic to halt a game.

The move came in the last seconds of a 99-94 home loss Wednesday to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kidd denied that the spill was intentional but television replays show Kidd saying "Hit me" to Tyshawn Taylor as the Nets guard was walking toward him with 8.3 seconds remaining and Brooklyn out of timeouts.

Taylor bumped his coach and Kidd spilled the drink on the floor.

Intentional or not, the delay worked to Brooklyn's benefit by giving Kidd time to draw up a final play in hopes of scoring. But the play did not work and the Nets lost.

Kidd was holding a cup of soda at the side of the court while Lakers guard Jodie Meeks was at the free throw line. After Meeks made their first shot to give the Lakers a 96-94 edge, Taylor walked toward Kidd and collided with his coach, who spilled the drink onto the court.

"Cup slipped out of my hand while I was getting Ty," Kidd said. "Sweaty palms."

"I was never good with the ball," deadpanned Kidd, the NBA's number two all-time steals and assist leader before retiring this year and taking the Nets coaching job.

"In the heat of the battle, you're trying to get guys in and out of the game and the cup fell out of my hand."

While arena workers cleaned the slick mess to make the surface safe for play, the Nets staff sorted out their next strategy, although not without two Laker players trying to sneak into the huddle to hear the plan.

Meeks made his second free throw after the delay, then Brooklyn's Paul Pierce missed a potential equalizing 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining on the way to defeat.

Despite the video replays showing Kidd clearly mouthing his instructions, Taylor also denied the deliberate nature of the delay tactic.

"I wasn't paying attention. I just kind of bumped him," said Taylor. "I didn't even know he was holding (anything). Coach was drinking a soda on the sideline. I was like, 'What's he doing?'

"It could ice a free throw shooter and be a timeout when you don't have one, but that wasn't the thought process. I was just coming out, and he was in my way."

As a player with the Dallas Mavericks, Kidd famously bumped into Atlanta coach Mike Woodson while dribbling up the sideline, appearing to initiate the contact and then blame Woodson for blocking his way up the court.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Jason Kidd's Crash Car The Mangled Wreckage

This is what happens when you drink and drive and crash into a light pole ... allegedly.

Jason Kidd was lucky to emerge from this 2010 Cadillac Escalade with his life after his early morning collision in the Hamptons on July 15. The photo was taken by our friends at the New York Daily News.

As we previously reported, Kidd was arrested for driving while intoxicated following the crash.

In the hours leading up to the crash, Kidd was partying at a club and appeared so drunk, he had to be carried out of the place.

For some reason, he got behind the wheel ... and drove into a telephone pole.

After the crash, Kidd's lawyer released a statement saying, "Jason has pleaded not guilty to a DWI charge and awaits further court proceedings."

source: tmz.com