Chaos! That might be the best word to describe what happened during last night’s Pacers vs Nets clash. Midway during the final quarter, Trendon Watford and Myles Turner got into a heated physical altercation after the Nets star delivered a right forearm to the chest of Andrew Nembhard. As a result, Watford got ejected from the game while both Turner and Nembhard got penalized with one technical foul each. But an even bigger punishment awaits the three stars as NBA has announced a hefty fine for their actions.

As per the official statement released by the league, “Brooklyn Nets guard-forward Trendon Watford and Indiana Pacers center-forward Myles Turner have each been fined $35,000 for involvement in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.”

Sure, Turner was not the one who initiated the altercation. But he definitely escalated it by shoving Watford, coming to Nembhard’s aid. Moreover, Andrew, who surprisingly walked away from the altercation after having some words with Trendon has also been fined $20,000 for his involvement. That takes the total fine tally to $90,000 for the three stars.

Of course, Nembhard was also ejected later in overtime after receiving his second technical foul for chirping at official Tony Brothers. In the official Pool Report, Brothers revealed the reason behind Andrew’s second tech, “Vulgar language twice. He was given the opportunity to just walk away, and he used vulgar language towards an official twice.” This was his second ejection of the week – First was against the Timberwolves following an altercation with Rudy Gobert.

Meanwhile, Brothers also detailed the reasoning behind Watford’s ejection and the tech on Turner, “Watford pushed both Turner and Nembhard and each of them pushed Watford so that’s why each of them were assessed one technical and he was assessed two.” While the league has given its verdict, the hefty fine might not be enough to contain the Pacers’ aggression as they prepare for the playoffs.

Myles Turner reveals thoughts on fight with Trendon Watford after being “Battle-tested”

Well, Turner was the only player among the three who did not get tossed for his actions and was able to finish the game. And he did a solid job to lead his team to an overtime victory, dropping a 23-point double-double. Revealing his thoughts about the brawl with Watford, the big man said postgame, “We’re preparing for the playoffs. You’re going to have moments like that in the playoffs. So, to be battle-tested, let it not be a surprise and be able to control your emotions when everything’s high — that’s an underrated thing in this league.”

The Pacers are currently fighting to stay in that fourth seed in the East as the playoffs loom closer. And Turner knows that the games are only going to get harder and more physical from here. So, such heated altercations are bound to happen every once in a while and its important for players to stand their ground without hurting the team.

Fortunately, Turner was able to do that last night as he helped the Pacers extend their winning streak to three games. But the $35,000 fine will surely sting a bit. Thoughts?