Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell Penalized $25K for Verbal Altercation with Ref

The NBA imposed a $25,000 fine on D’Angelo Russell, the guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, following an incident of verbal abuse directed at a game official.

The league’s decision came in response to an incident that transpired on the court subsequent to the Lakers’ concluding Game 5 defeat against Denver on Monday evening, as confirmed by official sources. The Lakers’ season reached its conclusion with a 108-106 loss in Denver, resulting in a 4-1 series victory for the Nuggets. Notably, Los Angeles discharged coach Darvin Ham from his duties on Friday after his two-season tenure.

Russell’s performance in the game included contributing 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting, along with 6 assists and 1 rebound. Over the span of the Western Conference first-round series, he maintained an average of 14.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds.

Throughout the regular season, the 28-year-old Russell achieved an average of 18.0 points and 6.3 assists, further setting a franchise record by netting 226 3-pointers across 76 games, of which he started 69.