[onlooker]

Hope they had fun while they were here.

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets have been fined by the NBA for a trip to Las Vegas last week.

League spokesman Tim Frank declined to disclose the amount of the fine, saying it is an internal matter.

"They took them to Las Vegas in the middle of a road trip, and that's against salary cap rules," Frank said Monday night.

Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson told Houston television station KRIV that he understands that the Rockets violated the rules and expects to find out the details on Tuesday.

Dawson did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press on Monday night.

Frank said that, under the rules, teams are prohibited to provide any benefits or compensation to players that are not included in their contracts.

Houston opened a six-game, 11-day trip on Thursday against Sacramento, winning 106-95. They beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 on Sunday night.

[Illusion]

How stupid, it's not like they were betting on their own team. I see no harm in that trip. The league over reacted.

[Winston Smith]

The Nuggets were prevented a trip to Vegas last season by the league as well.

The league says it's about the CBA, but I don't know how much I buy that.