Sampson Is Fined $5,000 as 17 Are Cited for Fight

Ralph Sampson, the 7-foot 4-inch Houston Rocket forward, was fined $5,000 by the National Basketball Assn. Tuesday for his part in the fight in Game 5 of the championship series with Boston that resulted in his ejection.

The league fined 16 other players a total of $11,000 for their parts in the fight last Thursday night in the game in Houston.

Sampson was ejected in the second quarter after hitting 6-1 Jerry Sichting of Boston. Houston went on to win, 111-96, but Boston came back to take the series, 4-2, with a 114-97 victory Sunday.

Sichting, Dennis Johnson of the Celtics and the Rockets’ Akeem Olajuwon were each fined $1,500, and 13 other players were fined $500 apiece for leaving the bench areas.

The 13 were Houston’s Craig Ehlo, Steve Harris, Allen Leavell, Hank McDowell, Jim Petersen and Granville Waiters and Boston’s Danny Ainge, Rick Carlisle, Greg Kite, Kevin McHale, David Thirdkill, Sam Vincent and Scott Wedman.