Three Warriors stars fined $75,000 by NBA

The NBA came down hard on Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant on Tuesday for their criticisms of the officiating in a recent loss, fining the three Warriors stars a combined $75,000.

Green paid the biggest price in the aftermath of Thursday’s bitter loss in Minnesota in which Golden State felt poor officiating led to its loss. The outspoken forward was fined $35,000 for his comments on social media “which impugned the integrity of NBA officiating,” the league announced.

Curry was hit with a $25,000 fine for his gestures toward the referees as well as his postgame comments, while Durant must pay $15,000 for his criticisms of the calls, said Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.

The Warriors were angered by two calls in the final 5 1/2 seconds, beginning with Marat Kogut’s call that denied Durant a potential game-winning four-point play. Kogut whistled a foul on Minnesota but waved off Durant’s 3-pointer when he ruled the foul occurred before his shooting motion began.

Curry, though, earned the Warriors a tie with 0.5 seconds left when he drained a 3-pointer in the corner. However, the league on Tuesday penalized Curry for gesturing toward Kogut after the shot as well as the two-time MVP’s comment that the official “was the MVP” of the game.

The worst call, according to the Warriors, may have been the foul called on Durant with 0.5 seconds left when he bumped Karl-Anthony Towns while a lob pass sailed 10 feet above their heads. Towns hit a free throw and then missed intentionally to seal the victory as the clock ran out.

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