Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors fined $25,000

SALT LAKE CITY Derrick Favors is learning the hard way that some actions have severe consequences in the NBA.

The Utah Jazz second-year player was ejected late in the third quarter of Thursday's 94-91 loss against Dallas after he hucked a basketball across the court toward the stands by the Mavericks' bench.

This afternoon, Favors was slapped with a $25,000 fine by the NBA for the incident.

In a statement, Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, announced the hefty penalty that accompanied "throwing a ball into the spectator stands."

Favors admitted he lost his cool after being called for a second offensive foul.

"It was just a caught-up-in-the-moment thing," Favors said at shootaround today before the fine was announced.

The 20-year-old said Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin had a chat with him since then, informing him of the NBA's rules regarding throwing the ball into the crowd.

Favors said Corbin also told him, "Just keep your head."

Favors will be available for action against Minnesota tonight.

Jazz point guard Earl Watson received a technical shortly before Favors' ejection.

Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki smacked the basketball out of Favors' hands after the Jazz forward was called for his first offensive foul, and Watson followed the big German to the sideline and returned the favor by hitting the ball out of his hands.

Nowitzki wasn't penalized for his part, although he did receive a "T" at the end of the first half for spiking the ball hard onto the court.

This was the second $25,000 fine for the Jazz this season.

Small forward Josh Howard was fined for a flagrant penalty in the San Antonio game.

Email: jody@desnews.com Twitter: DJJazzyJody