Nuggets' Malone suspended 1 game for making contact with ref
Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has been suspended one game without pay for entering the court, interrupting play, and making contact with an official in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA announced Monday.
He'll serve the suspension Monday against his former team, the Sacramento Kings, while assistant coach Wes Unseld fills in for him.
The incident in question occurred midway through the second quarter of Denver's 127-109 loss at Staples Center, when Malone charged at referee Rodney Mott to protest a non-call on Nikola Jokic, who also complained. They were both promptly tossed.
Mike Malone actually ran in front of the ref to scream at him and got tossed along with Nikola Jokic pic.twitter.com/iYPCm5Htm6
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) November 20, 2017
The league rescinded Jokic's ejection fine, though it indicated he rightfully earned a technical foul for his actions.
It'll be up to Jokic to lead the Nuggets back on track without both Malone and Paul Millsap, who was ruled out with a left wrist sprain.