NBL star Gary Browne gets away with $1.5K fine for punching Aron Baynes / News - Basketnews.com

Gary Browne punched Aron Baynes in the stomach during an NBL game, but managed to avoid suspension and got away with a small fine.

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With less than seven minutes left on the game clock during the NBL clash between the South East Melbourne and the Brisbane Bullets, the hosts' guard Gary Browne punched the visiting team's big man Aron Baynes in the stomach.

Gary Browne

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The 30-year-old was ejected and the NBL’s Game Review Panel subsequently hit him with a one-game ban. But the Phoenix were quick to accept an early guilty plea, reducing the sanction to a $1550 fine.

Hence, the GRP, under NBL rules, determined the incident was intentional, medium impact and low contact. It means Browne will be free to suit up for Phoenix in their next outing against Illawarra on January 5.

Phoenix coach Mike Kelly described it as an uncharacteristically selfish play from Browne (13 points, four assists), despite the fact he had already been fined for striking earlier this season. Last November, the guard coppeda $1010 fine, reduced to $700 with an early guilty plea, for a hit on Adelaide's Tohi Smith-Milner that was deemed intentional, low contact and low impact.

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