Hawks guard Trae Young will have to pay for confronting an official at the end of the team’s loss to the Nets on Wednesday.
Joe Dumars, executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the NBA, announced Saturday that the league fined Young $25,000 for confronting and directing inappropriate language toward a game official.
The incident occurred at the end of the Hawks’ 114-113 loss at State Farm Arena, after Young believed he had been fouled on the team’s final possession of the game. Young had taken a handoff from teammate Saddiq Bey and dribbled along the top of the key absorbing, some contact from Nets guard Dennis Smith.
Young then put up a shot with 1.5 seconds left on the clock, but the ball hit iron, and he slid to the sideline. Both Young and Hawks coach Quin Snyder looked to protest the no-call with officials. Young, however, can be seen pointing at official Dedric Taylor.
The NBA released its final-two-minutes report Thursday, which provided its assessment of officiated events that occurred in the last two minutes of the previous night’s games when the scores were at or within three points during any point in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter (and overtime, where applicable).
In the report, the league deemed the play a correct no-call because, “Smith does not impede Young’s progress with his left hand before Young wipes his hand back. Smith then legally places a forearm to Young’s side and releases him without extending or pushing him.”
The fine isn’t Young’s first of the season. He already has been assessed five technical fouls, which each carry a price tag of $2,000.
