NBA fines Nuggets coach David Adelman $35,000 for yelling at officials, leading to ejection in loss to Rockets
Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman’s dismissal on Saturday will cost him dearly.
The NBA fined Adelman $35,000 for using inappropriate language at officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after he was ejected in his team’s 115-101 loss to the Houston Rockets, the league announced Sunday. The ejection was the first of Adelman’s career.
Announcement
Adelman, who picked up a technical foul in the first half at Ball Arena on Saturday, argued with officials in the fourth quarter over two questionable fouls given to Nikola Jokić. Then suddenly, after Jokić received a slap on the arm and lost the ball, Adelman exploded and sprinted towards the referee.
“You’re damn terrible, man!” Adelman yelled at the official loud enough for the broadcast to pick him up. Adelman continued to follow the officer and had to be restrained by his deputies. The referee immediately hit Adelman with a second technical foul, which led to his automatic ejection.
Adelman said after the game that he was “confused” and that he was “just looking for answers.”
“It seemed [the official] I kept walking further and further away,” he said, via the Associated Press. “I thought we were going to talk, and finally they told me I had to leave. So yeah, it was definitely a tough night for us.
Adelman is in his first full season leading the Nuggets. He took over on an interim basis at the end of last season following the franchise split with coach Michael Malone, and was then promoted to the top job last offseason. The 44-year-old has been on Denver’s staff since the 2017-18 season.
Announcement
The Rockets led the entire second half and cruised to victory on Saturday, thanks to a 31-point night from Kevin Durant. That snapped a six-game winning streak for the Nuggets, who now hold a 20-7 record. Jokić scored a team-high 25 points with seven rebounds and five assists. The Nuggets shot just 8 of 29 from the 3-point line.
Denver will return to action Monday night against the Utah Jazz.