NBA fines Rajon Rondo for trying to trip Jae Crowder

Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo has been hit with a $25,000 fine for trying to trip Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder during their last playoff game.

Rajon Rondo was recently ruled out indefinitely from the playoffs for fracturing his thumb, but that didn’t stop him from trying to help his team win game three against the Celtics.

Rondo was clearly seen sticking his leg out and trying to trip Crowder after he hit a jump shot and tried to get back on defense. Crowder avoided his leg and wasn’t tripped, but I’m sure he didn’t appreciate the gesture. Rondo denied trying to trip Crowder, saying he had to stretch his leg due to a torn ACL in his past. Rondo also explained how he usually stretches his leg out once in awhile during the game, and Crowder was very close to the Bulls’ bench so that’s why it may have looked like that.

It was odd timing for a leg stretch, to say the least, and Rondo doesn’t necessarily have a great history with some of his NBA peers. In the two games that Rondo played for the Bulls in the playoffs, he averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 10 assists and 3.5 steals. A great all around stat line that the Bulls sorely missed in game three of their series. The Bulls won both games with Rondo in their lineup but took a 104-87 loss in the game he has missed so far.

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The Bulls do not have the greatest depth at the point guard position, so they will have to rely on veterans Jimmy Butler, and Dwyane Wade to shoulder the playmaking duties for the Bulls here on out.

Game 4 between the Bulls and Celtics is on Sunday night on TNT.