Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined for 'berating' and 'making contact' with an official

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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 for "aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official," the NBA announced Saturday. 

The league's announcement said the incident happened with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday. 

Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected from the game. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat April 28, 2025, in Miami.  (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown. 

Atkinson ripped the officials in a postgame news conference. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 6, 2025. (David Richard-Imagn Images)

"We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls]," Atkinson said. "And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.

"Certain characters in