When Desmond Bane tossed a loose ball down in the direction of Knicks forward OG Anunoby during Sunday’s game inside Madison Square Garden, the incident made for a funny moment on social media.
On Monday, it resulted in a hit on Bane’s wallet.
The NBA announced it fined the Magic guard $35,000 for “throwing the game ball with force at an opponent in an unsportsmanlike manner.”
The incident, for which Bane was assessed a technical foul, occurred with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter of Orlando’s 106-100 loss at New York.
“I was confused,” Anunoby told reporters about the moment after the game. “It was funny, I mean, but it was confusing. He said he was trying to throw the ball somewhere, but he threw it off me.
“But it was funny,” the Knicks forward added. “They would’ve had a fast break, but it’s all good, it was funny. It made me laugh.”
It’s the second such time this season Bane appeared to intentionally throw the ball in the direction of an opposing player.
A similar incident occurred when Bane seemingly spiked the ball down on Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu after he fouled him during the third quarter of a Nov. 4 matchup at Atlanta that Orlando lost 127-112.
That night, Bane was ejected from the game after officials reviewed the play.
On Monday, Bane was dealt a fine by the league for his latest act.
The Magic host the Heat on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup on Prime Video.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com