The NBA apparently didn't love Josh Hart's attempt to draw a foul during Sunday's game between the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
The Association announced on Monday that Hart acquired a flopping charge during the third quarter of Sunday's game, one that will cost him $2,000. It's the first flopping fine of Hart's career and the second overall, the first coming when he was ejected from an April showdown with the Chicago Bulls.
Sunday's incident occurred at the midway mark of the third quarter with Boston holding a 20-point lead. As the Knicks moved back down to the Boston end in transition following a Miles McBride interception, Hart felt to the TD Garden parquet after brief tangle-up with Jrue Holiday. A whistle was blown shortly after the incident, albeit for a Derrick White reach-in charge against Jalen Brunson.
Boston won the game by a 118-105 final after leading by as much as 27. The third quarter was one of the few things that went right for the Knicks, who embarked on a 32-12 run over the final eight-plus minutes of the frame. It was part of a futile comeback that sliced the deficit to four before the Celtics re-established their lead to double figures.
The acting charge against Hart only adds to a brutal weekend for the Knicks (37-20), who dropped consecutive games against the Eastern Conference's finest from Boston and Cleveland. Beyond the fine, Hart was one of the few silver linings to comfort the Knicks, as he posted a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double with nine assists. Hart returned to action after a two-game absence for knee soreness.
