NBA refs union irked Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer wasn’t suspended

The National Basketball Referees Association expressed disappointment that Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was not suspended by the NBA though he was fined $25,000 — for making “incidental contact” with a referee during Saturday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The NBA interviews key participants in ejections, and it’s clear from talking to Budenholzer and video evidence that the league did not think Budenholzer intentionally made contact with referee Ben Taylor.

In 2012, then-Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown was fined $25,000 and suspended one game for making contact with a ref and failing to leave the court in a timely manner, and several players over the years have been suspended for making contact with a ref.