Khris Middleton's actions on Thursday night were costly for the Dallas Mavericks in more ways than one.
The NBA announced on Saturday that the veteran forward had been fined $25,000 after he threw his mouthpiece in the direction of the stands during the third quarter of the Mavericks' 115-114 loss to the Magic in Orlando.
The incident occurred midway through the third quarter and Middleton was assessed a technical foul as a result. He ended up finishing the game with 19 points, seven assists and six turnovers in just over 32 minutes of action.
Middleton, a 14-year NBA vet, landed in Dallas at last month's trade deadline as part of the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards. The 34-year-old has since played 11 games (nine starts) for the Mavericks, averaging 12.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
The three-time all-star and former NBA champion has racked up over 800 regular-season appearances in the NBA, split between the Detroit Pistons, who drafted him 39th overall in 2012, the Milwaukee Bucks, Wizards and Mavericks. Middleton holds career averages of 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 38.4 per cent shooting from deep in that span.
As for the 12th-seeded Mavericks (21-42), they return to action on Sunday to visit the Toronto Raptors (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT) as they continue a six-game road trip. Dallas will be looking to snap a six-game skid.
