(Reuters) - Atlanta forward Ivan Johnson, Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon and Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel have been fined by the National Basketball Association (NBA) for inappropriate comments or gestures, the league said on Saturday.

Johnson was fined $25,000 for directing an obscene gesture toward fans after the Hawks lost to the Celtics in Boston on Thursday, the NBA said in a statement.

The league slapped Gearon with a $35,000 fine for publicly criticizing NBA officiating and making negative comments about an opposing player.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Gearon called Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett "the dirtiest guy in the league" in a speech on Wednesday.

Vogel was fined $15,000 for comments on how the referees should officiate the Pacers' upcoming playoff series with the Miami Heat, the league said.

(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Raleigh North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)