Mavericks fined $50K by NBA for violating team bench rules

After receiving a $25K fine for “bench decorum” infractions during Game 2 of their second round series vs. the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks have been fined $50K for similar infractions during Game 7, with the increased penalty partly based on the prior violation, the league announced.

“On multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood for an extended period in the Mavericks’ team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on or encroaching upon the playing court," the league said.

As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon wrote a couple weeks ago, the boisterous bench squad, led by two-way player Theo Pinson, who’s ineligible for the playoffs, has been credited with improving team chemistry as well as annoying opponents.

“He (Pinson) gave us something we didn’t have, and now he has a group over there,” head coach Jason Kidd said before Dallas’ closeout Game 6 win over Utah.”They’re all into the game from jump ball to the end. Win or lose, those guys are connected and the team is connected.”

“We’re involved all game,” Pinson said, per MacMahon. “We’re involved, up, ready, helping our teammates. We’ve seen the importance of it.”

As evidenced by a combined $75K in fines to this point, clearly the league believes the figurative and literal line has been crossed several times. Coach Kidd previously said the NBA had the wrong priorities when it came to the first fine, but noted that it was going to a good cause (charity).

Owner Mark Cuban responded to the first fine with a link to a video in which he cursed an additional time at an Esports event after learning that his first had caused a $15K fine that went to charity. He doesn’t seem to mind being docked, especially with the team’s postseason success.