It all started with a fight for rebounding position. It has ended with the league suspending Indiana’s JaKarr Sampson one game without pay and fining San Antonio’s Patty Mills Rudy Gay for the incident.
The NBA announced the punishments on Wednesday. Sampson has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting Mills; he will miss the Pacers’ game Wednesday against the Thunder. The NBA fined Mills $25,000 for his role and Gay $20,000 for being the third man in and shoving Sampson.
The incident started early in the fourth quarter (the video is above). On the possession before the altercation, Mills had tried to step in front of Sampson for rebounding position and Sampson shoved Mills in the back (it was all moot, Aaron Holiday made the shot).
When they went to the other end, Mills was making a move through the lane and made some contact with Sampson, letting him know he wasn’t backing down from the shove at the other end. Sampson responded with a headbutt and a shove, and soon it was a scuffle. Gay jumped in to protect his teammate and shoved Sampson.
Sampson was ejected when it happened. Mills and Gay both were given technical fouls on the play.
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Pacers’ Sampson suspended one game; Spurs’ Mill, Gay fined for altercation originally appeared on NBCSports.com
