The NBA fined McRoberts $20,000 for the hit, which was initially ruled a personal foul but was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 foul. The ruling was announced Thursday.
The foul occurred with 50 seconds remaining in the game. As James went in for a layup attempt, McRoberts put his forearm directly into James’ neck. James came crashing down and was in visible pain.
The Heat went on to take the game 101-97, giving them a 2-0 series lead. The two teams will meet for Game 3 in Charlotte on Saturday.
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