Kevin Seraphin Fined $15K for Excessive Contact Against Jon Leuer

The NBA fined Washington Wizards center Kevin Seraphin $15,000 for his flagrant foul on Jon Leuer in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.

Seraphin was ejected in the third quarter after he barreled into Leuer as the Grizzlies forward was attempting to convert a dunk attempt. Officials wasted little time in giving Seraphin a flagrant-2 foul and sending him on his way.

Pro Basketball Talk's Kurt Helin felt the fine was an acceptable punishment for the 25-year-old Frenchman:

After the game, Wizards head coach Randy Wittman defended Seraphin's actions, per Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post:

"

I liked that. You know what? I give the kid credit. I saw the replay and they had to call [the flagrant-2]. It was a bad fall but it wasn't a vicious attempt to hurt anybody. He turned the ball over, hustled back and tried to a block a shot. I give him credit for that. It was a tough fall and they replayed it and determined it was a flagrant-2.

"

Grizzlies play-by-play man Pete Pranica at the time called it a "dangerous and dirty play":

Seraphin has played in 62 games this year, averaging 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes a night.

The fact that he avoided any sort of suspension will be good news for a Wizards team that has been in a tailspin since the middle of January.