The NBA fined Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson $25,000 Monday, but not for the flagrant foul given to LeBron James. Stevenson was fined for making a "menacing gesture" during the Cavs' Game 4 win. The Washington Post reported Stevenson gave the throat-slash signal to the Cavs bench after a first quarter basket. The league fined Paul Pierce of Boston the same amount of money for the same gesture in Game 3 against Atlanta.

The league did not, though, impose any more discipline on Stevenson for the hard foul he gave James in the first half of Cleveland's Game 4 win. Stevenson took a wild swing at James' head as LeBron went up for a layup, knocking James to the ground and sending James' headband flying. A near fight ensued, and after the game James said he was told Stevenson hit him with a closed fist.

None of this will decrease tensions in Game 5 Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Here is the gesture, with thanks to the Washington Post sports blog, which posted the link earlier. The score that's shown on the bottom of the screen is not when Stevenson did this; apparently it came early, after his first basket. The first signal is for Jay Z … James' good friend.

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