The NBA basketball club the San Antonio Spurs have been fined more than $300,000 for sending top players home before a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat.
The Spurs, who have one of the oldest rosters in the league, sent four of their top players home to rest before Friday's game, which was the final game of a six-game road trip for San Antonio and their fourth game in five nights.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich decided to send Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home rather than inserting them into the lineup against the defending NBA champion Heat.
Despite missing the top players, the Spurs nearly shocked the Heat, leading 98-93 with about two minutes to play, before Miami's big guns led the team to a 105-100 victory.
San Antonio's next game is at home against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
