NBA Fines Nuggets Coach Adelman $35,000 After Ejection

The NBA fined Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman $35,000 on Sunday for directing inappropriate language at game officials and failing to leave the court promptly after his ejection during the team's 115-101 loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at Ball Arena in Denver.

The incident marked Adelmans first career ejection as a head coach. It occurred midway through the fourth quarter, with the Nuggets trailing 80-72, when Adelman reacted to a no-call on star center Nikola Jokic, who was hit on the arm while attempting a shot near the basket. Adelman sprinted toward referee Tyler Ricks, yelling profanities loud enough to be captured on the broadcast, and had to be restrained by assistants as he followed the official. The confrontation resulted in his second technical foul of the game, automatically disqualifying him. Assistant coach Jared Dudley took over for the remainder of the contest.

Adelman had already received a technical foul in the first half for arguing calls involving Jokic, who accumulated four fouls early, including two questionable ones that sidelined him for stretches. Both teams finished with 20 personal fouls, but Jokic's trouble limited his impact...