Chicago Bulls' Rajon Rondo fined $25K for trying to trip Boston Celtics' Jae Crowder

Injured Chicago Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo was fined $25,000 for attempting to trip Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder, the NBA announced Sunday.

Rondo was on the bench in street clothes for Friday night's Game 3 when Crowder was in the vicinity and about to head up the court. Rondo stuck out his leg at Crowder with 31.1 seconds left in the first quarter as the forward ran by.

Rondo, who fractured his right thumb in Game 2, claimed afterward that he didn't attempt to trip Crowder.

"When you tear an ACL, your legs get stiff on you every once in a while," Rondo told reporters in an apparent reference to his serious knee injury in 2013. "I stretched my leg out. I also do that throughout the game. I guess he was so deep into our bench, it looked maybe whatever may have happened."

Boston won the contest 104-87 but the Bulls hold a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Chicago.