NEW YORK — Cleveland Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas has been fined $20,000 by the NBA for striking Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins in the throat.
The punishment was announced Wednesday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the league’s executive vice-president for basketball operations.
The incident occurred with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter of the Cavaliers’ 127-99 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday night in Minneapolis.
Thomas clotheslined Wiggins in the jaw as he drove to the basket. He was ejected for a flagrant-two foul. He said afterward it was an accident and that he was glad Wiggins was all right.
Wiggins had 25 points in three quarters. Thomas, still on a playing-time restriction coming off a hip injury, had nine points in 19 minutes.
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