Cavaliers coach receives hefty fine for interaction with NBA official

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been fined for an aggressive interaction with an official during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 30. 

James Jones, who serves as the NBA’s Executive Vice President/Head of Basketball Operations, announced that Atkinson was fined $50,000 for ‘aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact’ with a referee.

Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game and was ejected with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s contest. The Suns went on to beat the Cavaliers 126-113, the loss snapping Cleveland’s five-game winning streak.

Atkinson was upset about a no-call on Suns guard Collin Gillespie, who was aggressively defended by Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill.

When do Cavaliers play next?

The Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 9 p.m. ET.