Rajon Rondo Fined $25K for Tripping Jae Crowder During Celtics vs. Bulls Game 3

Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo was fined $25,000 Sunday for attempting to trip Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder while sitting on the bench during Chicago's 104-87 loss in Game 3 of the teams' first-round NBA playoffs matchup Friday.

NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced the fine in a news release (via Mike Petraglia of WEEI).

Rondo stuck his right leg out after Crowder made a jumper near the corner to put Boston on top 33-15 with 31.1 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The point guard, who is out indefinitely with a fractured right thumb, denied he was attempting to trip Crowder.

"When you tear an ACL, your leg gets stiff on you every once in a while," Rondo told reporters. "I stretched my leg out. I always do that throughout the game. I guess he was so deep into our bench, it looked like maybe whatever may have happened."

Rondo tore his ACL in 2013 when he played for the Celtics. He returned a year later and has not suffered any major complications from the injury since.

Boston players, including former Rondo teammate Gerald Green, seemed nonplussed about the situation.

"I ain't no snitch, so I don't know," Green told reporters Saturday. "That's not something I grew up being a part of. Where I'm from, they know snitches get stitches. So I don't know."

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