Nets' Kevin Durant Fined $25,000 for Throwing Ball into Stands vs. Pacers

The NBA fined Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant $25,000 after he threw the ball into the Barclays Center stands during his team's 105-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Durant threw it after Pacers guard T.J. McConnell fouled him while the forward pushed the ball in transition with his team up 71-67 in the third quarter:

KD received a technical foul, but the Pacers could not take advantage after Chris Duarte missed the ensuing free throw.

Durant should have been ejected for the toss, as Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files wrote while citing the NBA Rule Book.

"Any player who throws or kicks the ball directly into the stands with force, regardless of the reason or where it lands, will be assessed a technical foul and ejected," Section V – Conduct: r reads.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and Durant both spoke about the incident postgame.

"It's something that is a significant thing that just can't be missed," Carlisle said.

"I tried to hit it off the backboard, but I still shouldn't have even did that," Durant said."I don't know what I was thinking. I thought I was at the gym by myself, a pickup game, not an NBA game. I can't do that. I could've cost my team the game. It won't happen again."

KD certainly helped the Nets close out the win over the Pacers, finishing the game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Losing him for the remainder of the matchup certainly could have been the difference between victory and defeat, as the Pacers and Nets were tied at 90 with 5:15 left in regulation.

However, the Nets emerged with the win and moved to 3-3. The Pacers fell to 1-5.