Justin Anderson played a central role in the testiness between the Thunder and Mavericks during their first-round series – both as the aggressor and the aggrieved.
In Game 4, Anderson was on the receiving end of a Kevin Durant flagrant 2 that got Durant ejected. Then late in the closeout Game 5, Anderson elbowed Russell Westbrook in the face under the guise of diving for a loose ball.
Anderson initially received just a technical foul for that, but the NBA reviewed and assigned him a flagrant 2.
Though it’s a relatively superficial distinction, at least the league showed how unacceptable that behavior is. But did this correction go far enough? The NBA fined Durant $15,000 for his flagrant 2. Will Anderson receive any additional penalty?
