Brawling Sampson Faces Fines; NBA Rejects Suspension

Rod Thorn, the NBA’s vice president of operations, said today that a suspension of Houston Rockets’ 7-foot-4 forward Ralph Sampson for his part in a brawl during Game 5 of the NBA Championship Series was rejected in a discussion by league officials.

“Fines are a definite possibility and probably will be announced Monday,” Thorn said. “We are still reviewing and compiling information.”

Enraged by Sampson’s ejection, the Rockets rallied around 7-0 Akeem Olajuwon and roared to a 111-96 victory Thursday night, keeping the Rockets alive in the NBA title series.