THE SIDELINES : Pistons’ Dumars, Bulls’ Grant Fined by the NBA for Fighting

First Harvey, now Horace. Joe Dumars is taking nothing for granted.

Dumars, of the Detroit Pistons, was fined today by the NBA for the second time this month for fighting one of the Grant twins. Dumars was assessed a $1,000 fine for starting a fight with Horace Grant on Christmas Day in Chicago, and Horace, of the Bulls, was fined $2,500 for retaliating.

On Dec. 1, Dumars retaliated when Harvey Grant of the Washington Bullets started a fight in Landover, Md. Two days later, the NBA got Dumars for $1,000, Harvey for $4,000.

The latest round of fines stemmed from an incident with 3:05 left in the game, when Dumars threw an elbow into Horace Grant’s stomach. Grant returned fire with a right hand to Dumars’ stomach. Grant was ejected, Dumars was not.

The NBA also fined Dumars’ teammate, Isiah Thomas, for a fight in another game. Thomas got a $1,500 penalty for punching rookie Trevor Wilson of the Atlanta Hawks during Detroit’s 113-87 victory on Dec. 21.