Portland's Jusuf Nurkic fined for throwing phone in heated exchange with young fan
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic's heated confrontation with an Indianapolis Pacers fan following Portland’s 129-98 loss Sunday night is going to cost him.
On Tuesday, NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell announced that Nurkic was fined $40,000 for "confronting a fan courtside and grabbing the fan’s cell phone and throwing it into the spectator stands" at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The exchange was captured on video, which has circulated around social media. Although it's not clear what led to the confrontation, the viral video shows Nurkic come face-to-face with a fan wearing a Pacers jersey. Nurkic, who is sidelined with a foot injury, grabbed the fan's phone out of his hand and threw it before security intervened and separated the two.
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Nurkic was sidelined in February for at least four weeks with left foot plantar fasciitis, an injury the Trailblazers said had been bothering him since September. Nuckic has started 56 games this season, averaging 15 points and 11.1 rebounds. He has 30 double-doubles.
Portland is also without Damian Lillard, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season following abdominal surgery in January. The Trailblazers are 27-44.
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