MIAMI — Magic coach Doc Rivers has been fined $7,500 by the NBA for his comments regarding the officiating crew that worked the Jazz's 88-86 victory at Orlando on Wednesday night.
Rivers was upset with what he perceived to be favorable fourth-quarter treatment of Utah's Karl Malone, and by the officiating crew's failure to call a last-play foul on anyone from the Jazz as the Magic's Tracy McGrady handled the ball under pressure.
Rivers said the refereeing trio of Bernie Fryer, Scott Foster and Leroy Richardson was "cowardly . . . all three of them."
Stu Jackson, the NBA's senior vice president of basketball operations, levied the fine Thursday.
Unfined was Orlando's Darrell Armstrong, who had some strong words for the refs himself.
"I think the referees, they look at the jerseys," Armstrong said. "They really do . . . I mean, it's disrespectful for a guy to get fouled all the way down. I guess (McGrady) doesn't have enough All-Star years under his name."