UPDATE: The NBA fined Afflalo $15,000 Tuesday for the Flagrant 2 foul.
While attempting to block Alec Burks’ layup attempt Monday night, Arron Afflalo sent the Utah Jazz guard crashing to the floor.
The refs booted Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets’ 103-101 road win, but he says that it was simply an accident.
The NBA police is unlikely to brush it aside, though.
Per the Denver Post:
Afflalo was ejected after referees deemed it to be a Flagrant 2 foul. But no one in the Nuggets locker room believed the mild-mannered Afflalo fouled Burks that hard on purpose.
“I was trying to go for a block, pretty much,” Afflalo said. “I’m not trying to be a tough guy, not trying to commit a hard foul. Things that ensue after that is all verbal in front of the refs and a lot of people. To me that means nothing. Honestly I just thought I committed a hard foul and he finished the game so he was OK.”
“I understand the flagrant because it was a strike to the head,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. “But I thought that the hit to the head happened because he ducked on the layup. Arron was trying to swipe, trying to make a play at the ball. … Those things happen. It was a hard foul. Arron’s not a dirty player, so it wasn’t intentional by any means.”
