By Humberto Viera
Mar 30, 2024, 12:02 PM EDT
Nick Nurse, coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Kelly Oubre Jr, the team’s leading forward, were sanctioned this Friday with fines of $50,000 each for their actions in the game played last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA, through its director of operations Joe Dumars, decided to sanction Nurse for “aggressively pursuing and verbally abusing” the referees, while Oubre Jr was fined for “verbally abusing and making an obscene gesture” towards the referees.
These actions occurred at the end of the exciting game that the 76ers lost 108-107 against the Clippers, in which Nurse and Oubre Jr expressed their frustration over certain refereeing decisions.
In particular, Nurse visibly protested the foul that he believed should have been called in favor of Oubre Jr when he was trying to make the last shot of the game, which could have changed the result in favor of the 76ers. The referees later acknowledged that they had made a mistake on that play.
The fines reflect the importance the NBA places on respecting referees and maintaining sportsmanship in games, even in moments of high tension such as close finishes.
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