New Jersey Nets star Jason Kidd was fined 20,000 US dollars by the NBA on Wednesday for referring to officials Jim Clark, Tom Washington and Eric Lewis as "three blind mice."

New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd (R) speaks to referee Bernie Fryer during a break in the action in the first quarter of the Nets' NBA game against the Houston Rockets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 27, 2006. Kidd was fined US$20,000 by the NBA Wednesday for comments he made about the referees following the Nets' game against the Detroit Pistons on December 26.[Reuters]

Kidd blasted the officiating following a 92-91 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson handed down the fine.

Nets coach Lawrence Frank was not fined despite walking on the court and yelling at Washington for not calling a foul when Vince Carter was bumped by Rasheed Wallace before missing a potential game-winning 15-foot shot.

"We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us," Kidd said. "We fought, but that doesn't mean anything when you have the officials take over the game like that. You go with the three blind mice, and it's just sad that Tom screwed up that game for us."

The no-call came just seconds after Clark called a foul on Carter on a drive to the basket by Chauncey Billups with 7.2 seconds to go. It was somewhat of a touch foul, and not nearly as hard as the bump by Wallace on Carter seconds later.

Kidd did not plan to appeal the fine. But he didn't back off his comments, either.

"That's how I felt," Kidd said on Wednesday. "That's how our team felt. It was the truth. There is no reason to talk about yesterday. We have to worry about today."