Luka Doncic's hand gesture costs him $35K

Down three points in the final seconds against the Warriors, Doncic missed a layup attempt, and Kevon Looney snagged the rebound. On his way back down the court, he rubbed his fingers together, implying the referees had been paid off in the game.

There was a controversial non-call in the third quarter, where confusion led to the Warriors getting an undefended bucket after a timeout. The Mavericks announced they would protest the result after losing by two points. 

However, Doncic shot more free throws than the Warriors' entire starting lineup, and for the game, the Mavericks shot ten more free throws than the Warriors. The NBA's Last Two Minute Report confirmed Doncic's last miss was a correct non-call. In fact, the only player who benefited from a referee's mistake in the last two minutes was Doncic himself, who got away with traveling.

Still, Doncic is lucky to have escaped with a fine, and not a retroactive technical foul, since he's sitting one short of the NBA's limit.

It may be a hallmark of the Mavericks' organization to constantly complain about referees. Owner Mark Cuban has been fined over $3 million for criticizing officiating over the years.

But Doncic needs to tone it down. Not just for his team, but for his wallet. Losing a quarter-million for yelling at referees would be the biggest "money sign" for Doncic yet.