Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane has picked up a lofty fine for throwing the ball at New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby on Sunday.
The NBA announced Monday that Bane has been fined $35,000 for “throwing the game ball with force at an opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner.”
The move from Bane came in the fourth quarter as the Magic trailed 91-80. Anunoby had the ball stripped from him on a layup attempt, and Bane ended up with the ball. He proceeded to launch it at Anunoby, and an exchange of words and some shoving followed. Bane was assessed a technical foul.
While it’s somewhat common to see a player throw the ball at a player who is out of bounds to avoid a turnover, that didn’t seem to be what happened with Bane. He had comfortably secured the ball and was not close to falling out of bounds.
It’s unclear whether a previous incident between Bane and Anunoby led to the move from Bane.
While Bane clearly put some force behind the throw, Anunoby laughed off the incident after the game.
“I was confused at first, then it was funny,” Anunoby told reporters. “I like Desmond. … He’s a good dude.”
Anunoby also joked that he “should have caught it.”
The Knicks went on to win 106-100, and Anunoby had 21 points and seven boards. Bane posted 16 points, six boards and four assists.
Luckily for the Magic, Bane throwing the ball at Anunoby didn’t warrant a suspension along with the fine. Bane, who was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies over the offseason, has played a key role for Orlando this year, putting up 18.3 points per game.