clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

John Wall fined $15,000 for postgame altercation with Jae Crowder

This decision hurts, but you can’t blame the league for what they did.

NBA: Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA announced on Saturday that they have fined John Wall $15,000 for his part in an altercation with Boston Celtics guard Jae Crowder after the end of Wednesday night’s game. The league also fined Crowder $25,000 for “for attempting to escalate the situation after exiting the playing court.”

Thankfully for Wizards fans, Wall avoided a suspension here, but there are still a couple things to keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.

Expect some very tight officiating for the next Wizards vs. Celtics game

Given that both teams have gone back and forth at each other during games and after games, the refs aren’t going to have a high tolerance for hard fouls and the like when they meet again on January 24 in Washington. Also keep in mind this isn’t the first time Wall has had an incident with a Celtics player this season. If there’s another skirmish on January 24 at the Verizon Center, the league will send an even tougher message to those involved, especially if Wall is one of the participants.

Wall has to be on his Sunday-best behavior going forward

Half the season hasn’t gone by, yet Wall already has 8 technical fouls, the fourth most in the league. He was ejected in two straight games last November. That’s four early season technical fouls for bumping into and cussing out a referee during the Rockets game on November 7, and throwing down Marcus Smart — of the Celtics — on November 9. The NBA suspends players for a game when they rack up 16 technicals in a season, so he needs to be extra vigilant moving forward.