NBA Fines Clippers' Jones $10K For Green Bump
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers were greatly amused and a bit confused by the NBA's decision to fine Dahntay Jones $10,000 Monday for bumping Golden State's Draymond Green during a postgame interview.
"Some people like to draw attention to themselves and make themselves bigger than what it is," Jones said Monday night before the Clippers hosted Minnesota. "I think it was more of him drawing attention to himself and wanting to be the reason someone else got fined."
Jones said he will appeal the ruling, and Clippers coach Doc Rivers sarcastically disagreed with the NBA's decision to level a five-figure fine for the brief contact between the reserve guard and Green, who scored 23 points in the Warriors' 106-98 victory over their rivals in Oakland on Sunday.
"Wow, that was such a violent bump," Rivers said with a straight face. "I told Dahntay, `You have to be careful. That was too hard.' "
Green was in the midst of his interview with ABC's Lisa Salters when Jones walked by and bumped into his arm while talking with DeAndre Jordan on the way off the court at Oracle Arena. Green gave a hard stare in Jones' direction, then finished the interview.
"I guess that tough guy in Golden State, I think the bump was too hard for him, clearly, by how he reacted," said Rivers, who was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a call from the NBA asking to discuss the contact. "I thought that guy was tough!"
In the Warriors' locker room after the hit, Green took several shots at Jones and the Clippers, saying Jones "got that camera time he was looking for."
Jones characterized Green's response as "a little bit immature," but laughed and said he didn't run into Green on purpose.
"Honestly, I didn't think it was that big of a nudge," Jones said. "We run into people all the time, even in life. And sometimes if you knock somebody off their course, you'll look back and apologize, but I thought it was just a brush, honestly and truthfully. I may be stronger than what I think I am."
With an earnest look on his face, Jones then apologized to Green, the Warriors' starting small forward.
"Obviously he felt some type of way, so I'm apologizing for hurting his feelings," Jones said.
The Clippers and Warriors have developed an entertaining rivalry in recent years during their simultaneous rise atop the Western Conference after decades of mostly awful basketball. Los Angeles ousted Golden State in seven games during an exciting first-round playoff series last spring that unfolded during the drama of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling's exposure for racist comments.
Jones believes the rivalry factored in the NBA's decision.
"I think it's a matter of the day, it's a matter of how big the team is, and then obviously him drawing attention to it," Jones said. "Just somebody who had a good game and wanted a little more attention."
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