Jerry Sloan Not Punished for Bumping Ref

Everyone is afraid of Jerry, including evidently, the League’s front office. From the Deseret News: “Longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has escaped punishment for his recent run-in with referee Michael Smith. A review of the incident is complete and there is ‘nothing’ in terms of a fine or suspension for Sloan, an NBA spokesman said Sunday. ‘It’s good news, and business as usual,’ Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said Sunday night. Sloan made contact with Smith with 0.2 seconds remaining in Friday night’s loss at Phoenix, but the contact — according to a Jazz spokesman — was deemed ‘incidental’ by the league. The last time he made contact with a referee, shoving Courtney Kirkland during a 2003 game in Sacramento, Sloan was suspended seven games without pay. A similar incident in 1993 cost him one game.”