New York Knicks forward Josh Hart got penalized by the NBA for a flop he committed on Sunday.
Knicks: Josh Hart assessed fine for flop vs. Celtics
At the 5:55 mark of the third quarter of the Knicks’ 118-105 loss to the Boston Celtics, Hart exaggeratedly threw himself to the ground off of minimal contact from Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday. As a result, the NBA docked him $2,000 for the flail (h/t Fastbreak on SI’s Ben Stinar):
“NYK’s Josh Hart was assessed a postgame Flopping fine of $2,000 upon league office review on Feb. 23 vs. BOS,” the NBA published on X on Monday evening.
Hart should avoid excessive attempts to draw fouls
The Villanova product has been sensational for the Knicks all year. He had a great case to be an All-Star. Nevertheless, this flop belonged on an episode of Shaqtin’ a Fool.
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Should the 29-year-old rack up more flopping violations, he could face further penalties. The league laid out its policy on reprimanding repeat offenders as follows:
“New for the 2023-24 season, the postgame monetary penalty system for flops has been modified to replicate that of technical fouls, with fines starting at $2,000 and increasing incrementally for repeat offenders,” the NBA published in an official breakdown of their rules.
Thus, Hart will look to move on from the fine and help lead the Knicks on a much-needed second-half surge to forge championship continuity. He is the heart and soul of their team and will be needed to best their foes in the Eastern Conference come playoff time.