Hornets' Miles Bridges Fined $50K for Hitting Fan with Mouthpiece After Ejection

The Charlotte Hornets' 132-103 season-ending loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA play-in tournament Wednesday was not only costly for the team but also for forward Miles Bridges after he was fined $50,000.

The NBA announced it fined Bridges $50,000 because he threw his mouthpiece into the crowd in Atlanta after he was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter. The mouthpiece struck a spectator as Bridges walked toward the locker room.

Following the game, Bridges tweeted: "Somebody get me in contact with the young lady. That's unacceptable."

"I lost my cool last night," the Michigan State product told reporters. "That was embarrassing on my part. ... I take full responsibility."

He also said he reached out to the fan he hit with his mouthpiece on Instagram and was frustrated in the moment because of how the game was unfolding.

Charlotte had no answers for the Hawks offensive attack, as six players on the home team scored 13 or more points. Trae Young led the way with 24 points and 11 assists, while De'Andre Hunter (22 points and seven rebounds) and Clint Capela (15 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks) also impressed.

Atlanta will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road Friday, with the winner claiming the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series against the Miami Heat.

LaMelo Ball spearheaded the effort for the Hornets with 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds, although he was just 7-of-25 from the field.

Bridges had 12 points prior to his ejection but was also 0-of-4 from three-point range. The frustration was evident when his excessive complaining about a goaltending call resulted in two technical fouls and an ejection.

The incident was reminiscent of the 2016 NBA Finals when Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was fined $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece into the Cleveland crowd. He was also fined $50,000 for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of an official during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in October 2017.