Brawl Costs Knicks, Suns $294,173.97

The NBA fined 21 members of the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns $160,500 Wednesday for their part in Tuesday night’s brawl and suspended three of them for a total of nine games without pay, the penalties adding up to $294,173.97, the largest total in league history.

Greg Anthony, the injured Knick guard watching the game at Phoenix in street clothes, was fined $20,500 and suspended for five games for leaving his seat and punching the Suns’ Kevin Johnson. Including salary deductions, Anthony will lose $86,340.20.

Johnson was fined $15,000 and suspended for two games for fighting Doc Rivers, triggering the melee. With salary deductions, Johnson will lose $60,121.87.

Rivers was fined $10,000 and suspended for two games, $32,098.76 worth.

The previous record for fines was the $162,500 levied on 14 Detroit Piston and Philadelphia 76er players April 20, 1990, with Bill Laimbeer and Charles Barkley assessed $20,000 apiece for fighting each other. However, only three games’ worth of suspensions went with that action.

Ironically, Barkley, now a Sun, was one of four players not fined Wednesday. The others were Dan Majerle and Oliver Miller of the Suns, and the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing.

The fight occurred at the end of the first half after a prior argument between Rivers and Johnson.

With five seconds to play in the half, Rivers ran the ball up the floor, handed it off to John Starks and ran headlong into a hard, blind pick set by Johnson. Rivers chased Johnson across the floor and squared off against him but no punches were landed.

Then the benches emptied onto the floor. Starks and Danny Ainge--each was fined $7,500--started yelling at each other and had to be separated.

Then Anthony, out because of a sprained ankle, came up from behind and punched Johnson in the forehead. Knick Coach Pat Riley tried to restrain Johnson and fell to the floor with him.

Both teams were ordered to their dressing rooms. Security personnel said that Anthony and Johnson had to be separated again in the hallway leading to the locker rooms.

“I didn’t feel I deserved to get ejected,” Johnson said. “But if I do, I have no problem with that. I’m just waiting to see what happens to this Greg Anthony guy . . . some scrub in street clothes.

“I think they should suspend him the rest of the year. That’s just ridiculous. That’s no guts and that’s just weak.”

The Knicks refused to allow reporters into their locker room, calling it a “team decision.” Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Riley said, “The situation was instigated by Kevin Johnson, period.”

Said Rivers: “I think you should try to turn the other cheek. I didn’t. I’m a little embarrassed.”

Jerrod Mustaf of the Suns, a former Knick, was fined $10,500. Fourteen players were fined $500 each.

The Knicks have been involved in several other incidents this season, the most recent of those earlier this month when Starks was called for a flagrant foul in the collision that knocked New Jersey’s Kenny Anderson out for the season.