Referee suspended for throwing ball at fan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The NBA has suspended for one game a veteran referee who threw a ball at a fan during halftime of a playoff game between Boston and Orlando, the league said.

Joe DeRosa was suspended without pay for the incident during Tuesday's Eastern Conference game in Orlando, the NBA said in a statement.

The Orlando Sentinel said the fan appeared to be heckling DeRosa as the referee approached the scorer's table. DeRosa tossed the game ball at the fan, who immediately threw it back.

The referee called security officials, who relocated the fan to another seat.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Steve Ginsburg)