NEW YORK — Referee Joe DeRosa has been suspended without pay for throwing a ball at a fan during halftime of an NBA playoff game in Orlando.

DeRosa will miss the next game he would have been scheduled to work.

At halftime of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between Orlando and Boston, DeRosa was walking to the scorer's table to get the warm-up jackets for his crew.

A fan behind the table approached DeRosa, gesturing with his arms and appearing to be shouting at the veteran official. DeRosa flipped the game ball to the fan, who tossed it back.