Fight Costs Clippers’ Roberts About $33,000 in Fines, Income

The NBA on Monday fined Clipper center Stanley Roberts $10,000 and suspended him for the game against Phoenix at the Sports Arena on Monday night as a result of his altercation Saturday with Denver’s Tom Hammonds.

Hammonds was suspended for the Nuggets’ game at Golden State and fined $5,000. Five players were also fined the automatic $500 for leaving the bench during a fight: Gary Grant and Elmore Spencer of the Clippers and LaPhonso Ellis, Robert Werdann and Scott Hastings of Denver.

The total cost to Roberts is about $33,000--the fine, the one game without pay at about $23,000 and the $250 for the ejection.

The altercation occurred during the second quarter of the Clippers’ 118-101 victory over the Nuggets. Roberts, saying he was hit in the stomach by an elbow, went from the lane to near midcourt to retaliate by taking a swing at Hammonds, who fought back.

The NBA ruled Roberts initiated the incident, thus drawing the extra penalty.