Mavericks coach fined by NBA after outburst at Thunder game

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle kicked away an expensive basketball in Wednesday's game against the Thunder.

The move prompted the NBA to dole out a $35,000 fine to the coach earlier today.

Carlisle kicked the ball into the stands, hitting a young boy in the head.

The incident occurred after Carlisle became heated over a play he thought should have resulted in a Nick Collison foul. The following possession the basketball rolled over to Carlisle's feet.

Carlisle has since apologized and the boy's father forgave the coach for his late-game outburst, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who spoke out about the game's referreeing, was fined $75,000 by the league for his comments.

"Look, I haven't said a whole lot about the officiating in a long, long time, but I haven't seen it this bad in a long, long time," Cuban told ESPNDallas.com after the loss. "Guys miss calls; that's part of the game. You're not always going to have a great crew. Officials have got to learn that's part of the game."

"But these were officials that have been part of the league for years, and it was just off-the-charts bad. And if no one ever says anything, nothing ever happens," he said.

Oklahoma City's next matchup with the Mavericks is set for March 5.