League Hits Wallace With $20,000 Fine

Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace was fined $20,000 by the NBA on Friday for his public criticism of the officiating during the Pistons’ loss in Miami on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The league said Wallace also used “inappropriate language” to the media.

“Had to put up with extra help they had out there,” Wallace said after the Heat’s 88-76 victory.

Although he has been more restrained since being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Pistons last season, Wallace has been one of the NBA’s most penalized players in his 10 seasons in the NBA, drawing well over 200 technical fouls.

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Dwyane Wade accompanied the Heat to Detroit. Whether he’ll join them on the court tonight remains unknown.

Wade’s strained right rib muscle remained painful and tender Friday, so much so that he wasn’t able to participate in a light on-court workout.

Wade’s status won’t be determined until today, but teammates are preparing themselves for the prospect of playing without him in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals.

He was scheduled for repeated treatment sessions Friday and, if necessary, today.

Heat Coach Stan Van Gundy said he had no plans to keep Wade out of Game 6 and rest him in case the series comes down to a winner-take-all Game 7 in Miami on Monday night.

“That would not be my preference, no,” Van Gundy said. “My preference would be to play my best players every game.”

Yet Van Gundy did not indicate that Wade’s injury improved any between Thursday and Friday.

“If he couldn’t go today, there’s probably a chance he couldn’t go tomorrow,” Van Gundy said after Friday’s workout.

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Denver Coach George Karl was suspended for the first three regular-season games of the 2005-2006 season and the Nuggets were fined $200,000 by the NBA for violating rules prohibiting contact with players not yet eligible for the draft.

The league said the violation occurred from May 16 to 18, when Karl attended workouts at Marquette University involving a player who is not eligible for this year’s draft, which will take place on June 28.

The NBA did not identify the player.

“George made an innocent mistake, but we take full responsibility for these actions,” General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe said.

“The Denver Nuggets fully respect league rules and regulations and we regret any inadvertent violation that occurred.”

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The family of George Mikan accepted Heat center Shaquille O’Neal’s offer to pay for the late center’s funeral expenses.

O’Neal said arrangements were finalized Friday. “Everything’s going to be handled,” O’Neal said.

Mikan, the NBA’s first dominant big man, died Wednesday night at a rehabilitation center in Scottsdale, Ariz., after a long fight with diabetes and kidney ailments.

He was 80.

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Dallas Maverick swingman Michael Finley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle to remove the bone chips that bothered him for most of the season.

The Mavericks said that Finley, who hurt the ankle in November, should fully recover by the start of training camp.