The Mavericks Got Fined $50,000 Because Their Bench Had Too Much Fun During Game 7 Against The Suns

The Dallas Mavericks picked up one of the most shocking wins in recent memory on Sunday when they went into Phoenix and demolished the Suns in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Despite the Suns being viewed as the favorites to advance and the game happening on their home court, the Mavericks found themselves up, 57-27, at halftime and went on to pick up a 123-90 win.

While Dallas is an excellent team, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thought they’d put forth that complete of a performance with a spot in the conference finals on the line. While they made that happen and earned a matchup with the Golden State Warriors, it turns out the NBA had some reservations about how far their bench went as they celebrated. As such, the league announced on Wednesday afternoon that the Mavericks got hit with a $50,000 fine.

This wasn’t the only time the Mavericks got fined for their “bench decorum” during their series against the Suns. The team received a $25,000 fine following their loss in Game 2 for “encroaching upon the playing court during game action,” and in the aftermath, Dallas coach Jason Kidd expressed his disappointment with the league’s decision.

“I didn’t know we got fined, but that’s cool,” Kidd said, per Forbes. “The league is worried about the wrong thing. You have millionaires cheering on other millionaires. That doesn’t happen in this society. The enthusiasm of the game, for a teammate to cheer on another teammate, is special.

“I think sometimes we’re focused on the wrong thing,” he continued. “And so, when you look at people who make a lot of money cheering on their teammates or their employees, that’s what sport is all about. So, for us to get fined that’s cool. It’s going to another good cause–charity. Again, we’re looking at the wrong thing.”

It seems unlikely this will stop the Mavericks’ bench from going a bit to hard if the team knocks off the Warriors, but we’ll see.