Knicks' Jalen Brunson Fined $2K for Flopping Violation in Win over Hawks
The NBA fined New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson $2,000 for flopping during a 126-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
It can be argued that the flop was the only negative regarding Brunson's performance against Atlanta, as he led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including a career-high eight three-pointers made. He also recorded five assists and three rebounds, while only turning the ball over once.
Through two games this season for the 1-1 Knicks, Brunson is averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
The Knicks lost their season-opening game 108-104 to the Boston Celtics, but it was a controversial defeat, as the officials made an incorrect flopping call on Brunson during the fourth quarter.
With New York leading by two and 6:49 left in the game, Brunson attempted a three-point shot and fell when he stepped on Celtics forward Jayson Tatum's foot upon landing.
The official NBA Referees account on X, formerly known as Twitter, later admitted that it was the wrong call and noted that Brunson should have been awarded free throws:
After he spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks prior to the 2022-23 season, and the move has paid dividends for both parties.
Brunson averaged a career-high 24.0 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, and the Knicks went 47-35 and reached the second round of the playoffs.
