Brian Grant was called for the foul. Karl Malone was hit with the fine.
Malone is now $10,000 lighter after the NBA fined him for elbowing Portland's Grant with 3:27 remaining in the second quarter of Utah's 93-83 victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in the Delta Center. Malone's elbow, which he says was inadvertent, caught Grant in the mouth as the Mailman went up for a driving layup attempt. The two players exchanged words afterward before Malone received two free throws for what was called a foul on Grant."I just know it wasn't a foul (on me)," Grant said. "You can't foul somebody with your chin."
It was the second rough play of the game between the two star power forwards. Grant fouled Malone hard on a break-away layup a few minutes prior to the elbowing incident.
It certainly isn't the first time Malone's extremitites have gotten him into trouble. Here are some of his more memorable deliveries:
-- APRIL 26, 1999
Cause: Sends Phoenix's Joe Kleine in for plastic surgery for a major cut to his mouth after catching him with an elbow as he challenged a Malone shot.
Effect: None.
-- APRIL 12, 1999
Cause: Throws punch at Rockets' Othella Harrington.
Effect: Suspended one game and fined $4,000 by NBA.
-- APRIL 9, 1999
Cause: Suns' Luc Longley hyperextends his knee following a collision with Malone.
Effect: None.
-- APRIL 9, 1999
Cause: Blazers' Jermaine O'Neal suffers mild concussion after receiving a Malone elbow to the forehead.
Effect: None.
-- MAY 1998
Cause: Accused by Spurs' David Robinson and Lakers coach Dell Harris of deliberately kicking Spurs players during the playoffs.
Effect: Whining always makes great copy for media.
-- APRIL 8, 1998
Cause: Spurs' Robinson hospitalized with a concussion after connecting with a Mailman elbow.
Effect: NBA imposes one-game suspension.
-- APRIL 7, 1998
Cause: Warriors' Donyell Marshall suffers a fractured rib after catching a Malone knee.
Effect: None.
-- DECEMBER 1991
Cause: The granddaddy of 'em all -- Malone elbow opens a cut between eight and 40 stitches (depending on who's telling the story) wide over the Pistons' Isiah Thomas' left eye.
Effect: NBA suspends Malone one game and fines him $10,000. Jazz fans must endure Thomas' recollection of the incident whenever he broadcasts a Jazz game for NBC.
Malone, angry after hearing about the fine so he went out for a long ride on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, Wednesday afternoon. He said it won't change the way he plays, however.
Jazz fans, no doubt, are curious as to why Malone was fined when Sacramento's Chris Webber received no discipline from the league after opening Game 2 with a forearm shiver to John Stockton that he said afterward was premeditated to send a message.
The likely answer is that Malone is treated more harshly based on his record of wreaking havoc with his elbows -- dating back years to the Thomas incident. The Mailman had a telephone conversation with Rod Thorn, the NBA's vice president who makes the decisions on fines and suspensions, the day after the incident with Kleine. He wasn't fined that day, but chances are he was warned that any future elbows would result in action from the league.
FRIENDLY ADVICE: Todd Fuller played perhaps his best-ever playoff game on Tuesday, which isn't saying a whole lot. It was only the sixth playoff game of his career, all with the Jazz.
But Fuller's seven-point, five-rebound performance in 18 minutes on Tuesday had Malone hopeful for the future.
"Todd has a great opportunity here," said Malone. "But after the season he has some things he has to decide on. One of the best things he can do is to go to rookie camp and get our plays down. If he does that, he'll play on this team because he can do all the things he needs to do to play on this team. He can shoot the basketball and he's tough inside, but he needs to learn our plays."
So, unless he wants to make the Mailman mad -- which wouldn't be a smart thing to do career-wise -- expect Fuller to be on the Jazz's Rocky Mountain Revue team this summer.