One of the many wild things that happened in Game 1 of the NBA Finals happened right at the end. With the game in hand, things got a bit more like the NHL postseason than the NBA in that everyone got together, exchanged some pushes and just generally didn’t like each other.
In hockey, this is a way to “set the tone” for the rest of the series and is generally thought of as part of the game. But basketball is a very different sport, and any kind of violence or conflict that ends up happening on the floor will have consequences.
So when Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green got into it in overtime at the end of Game 1, everyone knew there were going to be repercussions from the kerfuffle. There weren’t any true punches thrown, but tensions were high, and it certainly did set the stage for an intriguing series. But the piper still came for Thompson, who was hit with a fine by the NBA late Friday night.
Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson has been fined $25,000 for role in altercation near end of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 2, 2018
Money is one thing, but the biggest disciplinary news from the scuffle is that Kevin Love will not miss Game 2 with a suspension for coming onto the court from the bench. Love tried to explain what he was doing on Thursday night with the game in hand, and he could have gotten punishment from the league for getting close to the action. It would have been a big loss for the Cavaliers. Instead, Thompson is the one feeling the loss in his finances.
