Dwight Howard fined $15K for fouling Matt Barnes
As if things could not get any worse for Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, the NBA announced early Tuesday morning that it will fine him $15,000 for a particularly hard foul on Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes during the first quarter in Game 4.
Here's the official release from NBA.com, along with a video of the incident. And here's what Clippers head coach Doc Rivers had to say about the play immediately after Game 4, per ESPN's Calvin Watkins:
"Really. To me that's a sign of toughness from Matt. I tell our guys all the time, anyone can hit. The tougher guys are the ones who take the hit and keep moving forward. I thought Matt did a good job of that, because it was a nice blow. But instead of getting sidetracked and us losing our composure, we just kept playing. I think that's been very important for us."
The money isn't as big a deal as the embarrassing on-court play. Houston isn't tougher than Los Angeles, but they're (supposed to be) deeper and more balanced. So far, hard fouls or not, they haven't proved it.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
