The NBA hit Nuggets forward hard after his hard foul.
Anthony was fined $7,500 on Monday for his shove of San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili late in Game 3 on Saturday. Anthony was tagged with a flagrant foul and was ejected with 22 seconds left.
If Anthony is called for another flagrant foul during the playoffs, he will be suspended for the next game.
“I knew I was going to get fined, but $7,500 is a little steep,” Anthony said Monday before Game 4. “I’m going to try to appeal it. That’s too much, $7,500 for a foul? I don’t do this. I don’t commit fouls like this. This is the first time I did something like this.”
The second-year player has had two flagrant fouls in his career.
Ginobili thought the fine was fair, and he didn’t display any animosity after getting leveled while driving into the lane.
“It was a tough foul, but that’s what the league has been doing for a while,” Ginobili said.
Camby appreciative
While Nuggets center received consideration, Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace was named the defensive player of the year Monday for the third time. Camby finished third with 168 points behind Wallace (339) and San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen (247). Camby had 19 first-place votes, 19 second-place votes and 16 third-place votes. He ranked second in blocked shots per game (3.02) and finished seventh in defensive rebounds (8.0). Camby praised Wallace.
“The man’s a great defensive player,” Camby said. “Just by me being a candidate, I felt that I won already.”
Rockets’ Van Gundy fined
Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy was fined $100,000 on Monday for his comments about officiating during the Rockets-Mavericks series. That drew the attention of Nuggets coach George Karl, who was critical of officials after Game 3.
Asked about Van Gundy being fined, Karl said: “I’m not saying what Jeff Van Gundy said was good for the game of basketball. It wasn’t. But I think Jeff’s a great coach, he’s a great ambassador to the game of basketball and there should be some understanding to him.”
Footnotes
Karl was not fined for his comments Saturday, including a remark criticizing a specific charging call against . … Nuggets guard Wesley Person talked with Karl about not playing in Game 3. “You can use all kinds of words – disappointed, surprised, whatever – but hey, decisions are made,” Person said. “George has done a good job for us making decisions. I’ve just got to be ready to play.” … Manhattan College coach Bobby Gonzalez was in town visiting with Denver guard Luis Flores, who starred for him at Manhattan. … Nuggets guard is not expected to be named the sixth man of the year when the winner is named today.
