Tristan Thompson of Cleveland Cavaliers fined $25,000, flagrant reduced

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson was fined $25,000 for failing to leave the court in a timely manner and shoving a ball into the face of the Warriors’ Draymond Green in Thursday night’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals after being automatically ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

In a news release announcing the fine, the NBA said it was also downgrading that flagrant to a Flagrant 1 “upon league office review.”

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, meanwhile, will not be fined for his postgame comments about Game 1’s officiating, a league source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The Golden State Warriors were up by eight points with five seconds remaining in the contest, but there was 2.5 seconds left on the shot clock. Warriors guard Shaun Livingston pulled up for a midrange jumper, and Thompson contested the shot, but his elbow appeared to connect with the right side of Livingston’s chest, though replays called into question whether Thompson made contact.

Official Tony Brothers immediately called a Flagrant 2 foul, which warrants an automatic ejection.

“I contested a shot that shouldn’t have been taken,” Thompson said after the Warriors won 124-114 in overtime on Thursday. “I mean, it’s like the unspoken rule in the NBA: If you’re up 10 or 11 with about 20 seconds left, you don’t take that shot. I make the contest, and next thing I know, I was being kicked out for a good contest that we learn in training camp. I don’t know why I got thrown out.”

Lue, asked about the incident, said he was confident the league would be fair in their review.

“Haven’t heard anything yet but I know the league will do the right thing,” Lue said.

Lue also commented on a charging call LeBron James drew on a driving Kevin Durant in the final minute of regulation that was reversed after review to a block against James.

“It’s never been done before where you know he’s outside the restricted [area], and then you go there and overturn the call and say it’s a block,” Lue said. “It’s never been done, ever, in the history of the game. And then tonight in the Finals on the biggest stage, when our team played well, played our ass off — man, it ain’t right. It ain’t right.”

Warriors guard Klay Thompson had said earlier Friday he wasn’t concerned over Tristan Thompson’s status for Sunday’s Game 2.

“I don’t care if he plays or not,” Thompson said. “I mean, he’s great on the [offensive] boards. He always causes problems with that. But we’re concerned with how our game plan is going to be executed and what we have to do to limit them on the offensive glass. So I’m not too concerned if Thompson’s available.”

Regarding the ball-to-the-face move, Klay wasn’t impressed.

“I thought it was unnecessary when he shoved the ball in Draymond’s face,” Thompson said. “That was very uncalled for, especially if two guys are just talking. That’s not the way to play.”

Green began taunting Tristan Thompson by waving goodbye. When the two forwards approached each other, Thompson had some words before ramming the ball into Green’s face.

“I didn’t hear him,” Thompson said, “but I heard him, and the rest is history.”

Warriors players say veteran big man Kendrick Perkins, who was inactive, was the most fired-up Cavalier. Green was seen mimicking a cheerleader waving pompoms to mock Perkins, who was screaming toward the Warriors’ side of the court.