NBA: Grizzlies’ David Fizdale fined $30,000 for rant against officials

The NBA fined Grizzlies Coach David Fizdale $30,000 on Wednesday for his rant against the officiating in Memphis’ 96-82 loss to San Antonio in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

The Spurs lead the series 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Thursday night in Memphis, Tenn.

Fizdale blasted the officiating during his postgame news conference Monday night. Fizdale called the work of veteran crew Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner “unprofessional” and “unacceptable” before slamming his fist on a table and storming off.

After initially saying he needed to “have a glass of wine on the plane” to analyze what happened, Fizdale unleashed a nearly two-minute tirade that grew increasingly louder.

“It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,” Fizdale said. “Zach Randolph, the most rugged guy in the game, has zero free throws, but somehow Kawhi Leonard had 19 free throws?”

The first-year head coach noted that Leonard took more free throws (19) than all the Grizzlies (15) despite Memphis attempting 17 more shots in the paint than San Antonio.

“I’m not a numbers guy, but that doesn’t seem to add up,” Fizdale said.

Thomas: ‘Hardest’ days of his life

Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas said the days since his younger sister was killed in a car crash have been the hardest of his life. He also expressed thanks for the support he has received around the NBA.

Thomas’ comments, released in a team statement Wednesday, are his first public ones since 22-year-old Chyna Thomas died in a crash early Saturday outside of Tacoma, Wash.

The All-Star guard said the pain he was feeling “is impossible to put into words,” though he expressed gratitude to his fans, the city of Boston, the Celtics organization and the NBA community.

Thomas played in the first two games of the Celtics’ first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls, then flew to Washington to be with his family on Wednesday. No funeral plans have been announced.

He is expected to rejoin the team Friday for Game 3 in Chicago.

Etc.

Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined $25,000 for making an obscene gesture during a Game 2 loss to Chicago. The league did not release video of the incident in announcing the fine, but TNT’s cameras appeared to show Smart giving someone at TD Garden the middle finger after missing a three-point shot in the fourth quarter Tuesday. ... Cleveland starting guard J.R. Smith is questionable for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday with a left-hamstring injury. Smith didn’t play in the second half of Game 2 on Monday because Cleveland’s medical staff decided it was better for him to rest than risk making his injury worse. Smith was sidelined for nearly three months after breaking his right thumb in December.

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