Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young has been fined $ 20,000 for “targeting inappropriate language at a match official,” the NBA announced Thursday.
The incident occurred when the Hawks’ 118-117 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks was finally in possession of the American Airlines Center on Wednesday.
Young was hit on the floor while setting up a screen on Dallas center Willie Cauley-Stein, with 4.7 seconds left, preventing him from getting the ball as the game was designed.
After Danilo Gallinari’s difficult buzzer-beater attempt slammed off the edge, Young ripped out his mouthpiece and slammed to referee Josh Tiven to protest the critical no-call.
Tiven, the crew chief, told a reporter in the pool after the game that Cauley-Stein’s contact was considered “accidental” so he did not blow his whistle. Tiven said the serving crew came to the same conclusion after watching the video of the play after the play.
The NBA said Thursday that “the play that Young is disputing was correctly a call.”
“Under the rules of the game, Dallas’ Willie Cauley-Stein was entitled to a normal step from behind on a screen he took, which resulted in accidental and legal contact between Cauley-Stein and Young,” the league said. .
Young had 25 points and 15 strokes in the loss.
“I will not run away from the ball with four seconds left and we are trying to win the game,” he said. “I’m not going to fall just to fall at the end. It’s just the most frustrating part. Not really an opportunity to make a play at the end is just really frustrating.”