Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. turned 31 on Wednesday, but it wasn't exactly the happiest of birthdays after the NBA issued him a $35,000 fine for "recklessly striking" Dallas guard Luka Doncic above the neck during Game 6 of the team's first-round series.
The flagrant-2 foul he committed in Sunday's series-clinching Clippers victory followed two previous incidents between the two players. Morris made contact after the whistle on Doncic in Game 1 that led to a heated disagreement between the teams, and Doncic's left shoe came off in Game 4 after it was stepped on by Morris near the ankle Doncic had injured earlier in the series. After that incident, and his ejection in Game 6 after the flagrant-2 foul on Doncic, Morris defended himself by saying he played hard but was not a dirty player.
That history was taken into account when determining how much the NBA would dock Morris. The $35,000 fine was "based in part on the fact that Morris Sr. has been disciplined on several prior occasions for physical altercations on the court," the NBA wrote in announcing the fine.
Doncic did not escape the first postseason of his NBA career without a lighter wallet, either. He was fined $15,000 for throwing the ball off the legs of an official in Game 6. Doncic was assessed a technical foul on the play.
The second-seeded Clippers open the second round of the playoffs Thursday at 9 p.m. (Eastern) against third-seeded Denver.
