NEW YORK — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $20,000 by the NBA on Friday for his behavior while being ejected from a game this week.
Bickerstaff received two technical fouls and was tossed — for the first time as Cleveland’s coach — by referee Natalie Sago in the third quarter of Monday night’s 119-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
The league fined Bickerstaff for using inappropriate language toward the officiating crew and not leaving the court “in a timely manner.”
Bickerstaff was angered by several calls and erupted with 8:36 left in the third quarter after Cavs forward Cedi Osman was whistled for a blocking foul.
Following the game, Bickerstaff said he apologized to his team, staff and children.
“Nobody should see that,” he said. “That’s on me needing to improve and be better. It’s a combination of frustrations, obviously, but I need to stay in the fight. I need to be better.”
The Cavaliers have lost five of six heading into Friday night’s game at Philadelphia.