Boston Celtics center Al Horford was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Sunday for delivering an elbow to the groin of Orlando rival Moritz Wagner.
Horford was given the punishment for “making unnecessary and excessive contact to the lower body” with only 1:21 elapsed in the third quarter of a 117-109 home loss to the Magic on Friday.
Center Wagner was defending Horford when the 36-year-old Dominican, a 16-year NBA veteran who had his back to the Orlando big man, slammed his right elbow into the 25-year-old German.
Horford was whistled for a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected for the contact.
Horford is averaging 10.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game for the Celtics, who own the NBA’s best record at 22-8.
Wagner, who plays alongside his brother Franz in Orlando, is averaging 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game for the Magic, who have won five games in a row to stand 10-20.
