NEW YORK — On Sunday, the NBA slapped a $25,000 fine on Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam following his heated interaction and use of inappropriate language toward the officiating crew.
The decision to impose the fine was delivered by Joe Dumars, the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, as the league addressed the events surrounding Saturday’s narrow 120-118 defeat by Atlanta.
The tension boiled over after the concluding buzzer, with Siakam directly confronting the referees regarding crucial decisions made during the game. In the final moments, with Indiana trailing by three points and hoping for a chance to tie and push the game into overtime, Siakam made an unexpected dunk instead of attempting a three-pointer. Siakam candidly acknowledged the mistake in his post-game comments, labeling it a misguided decision.
“At that moment, we needed a 3-point shot,” Siakam admitted. “That was probably an error on my part.”
Despite the setback, Indiana remains competitive, securing the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
