Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was fined $25,000 on Thursday for escalating an on-court altercation by pushing Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng in the face on Tuesday.
Booker and Dieng were each assessed a technical foul and ejected after the incident, which came with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter of the Timberwolves' 118-91 win over the Suns in Phoenix.
Booker was stripped on a drive to the basket, and as Dieng came up with the ball, he caught Booker with an elbow to the face. Once he rose, Booker got his hand up into Dieng's face as players from both teams swarmed around them.
After a video review, Booker and Dieng were assessed double technical fouls and were ejected.
Dieng then appeared to motion to Booker to meet him in the tunnel, and Booker had to be restrained by a Suns security guard as he tried to run up to the tunnel.
"I think he tried to hit me," Dieng said. "Everybody could see I didn't throw a punch. In this league a lot of guys think they are tough, and they are not."
Dieng questioned why he was ejected.
"Technical foul, OK, that's fine, but an ejection? I want to know why," he said. "I know if you get two techs you get ejected, but I got one tech. And I didn't throw a punch. He's the one who tried to hit me, right? And I got ejected. I would like to know why."
Dieng was not fined.
