Detroit Pistons guard Evan Fournier was fined $25,000 after he kicked the ball into the stands following their late loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday, the league announced on Monday.
Heat star Bam Adebayo drilled a wide-open deep 3-pointer at the buzzer on Saturday afternoon to lift the Heat to a 104-101 win over the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. While the Heat went to celebrate the buzzer-beater, Fournier grabbed the ball and immediately kicked it up into the air and into the stands.
While it’s unclear if the ball actually hit anybody, it doesn’t matter. Kicking the ball into the stands will earn an automatic fine from the league every single time.
Fournier led the Pistons with 18 points and four rebounds off the bench in the loss on Saturday. Adebayo had 20 points and 17 rebounds in the win for the Heat after he shot 9-of-13 from the field. His winning 3-pointer was his only attempt from behind the arc in the game.
Fournier has averaged 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15 games with the Pistons, who traded for him in a deal with the New York Knicks ahead of the deadline earlier this year. The 31-year-old is in the third year of a four-year, $73 million deal.
The Pistons lost back-to-back games to the Heat and dropped to 12-55 on the season, which is a better record than only the Washington Wizards. The Pistons have already been eliminated from the playoffs, too. They’ll take on the Boston Celtics next on Monday night.
