Desmond Bane fined $35,000 for throwing ball to OG Anunoby in loss to Knicks

Desmond Bane’s decision to throw a ball at OG Anunoby will cost him dearly.

The NBA fined Bane $35,000 on Monday, a day after he threw a ball at Anunoby during the Orlando Magic’s 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks. The move resulted in a minor altercation at Madison Square Garden and a technical foul.

Announcement

Midway through the fourth quarter of that game, Bane was chasing Anunoby on a fast break. While Jalen Suggs appeared to block Anunoby at the rim, both guys fell under the basket. Bane came running behind, grabbed the ball and threw it to Anunoby.

It wasn’t just a small launch either. Bane, who wasn’t falling out of bounds, charged up and fired the ball hard into Anunoby’s back before pointing at the officials as if the ball had come out to Anunoby.

Anunoby stood up and punched Bane in the chest, but the two were quickly separated. Bane was hit with a technical foul and play continued.

Announcement

This marks the second such incident with Bane in as many months. Bane was ejected from the team’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks in early November after . That seemed much less noticeable, but it led to him being sent off for both a flagrant foul and a subsequent technical.

Bane finished with 16 points in the loss Sunday. The 27-year-old is averaging 18.3 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season, his first with the Magic.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 30 points and nine assists in the win, which lifted them to a near-perfect 13-1 at home this season. Anunoby finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, and Josh Hart added 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Announcement

Suggs led the Magic with 17 points Sunday. Paolo Banchero also added 16 points. Orlando lost Stary, which should sideline him for several weeks.

The Magic, now 14-10, will face the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.