NBA makes flopping rule permanent

NEW YORK (AFP) — National Basketball Association (NBA) team owners voted on Tuesday to permanently implement an in-game flopping penalty used on a one-year trial basis last season and changed NBA Cup tie-breaking measures.

Both measures were recommended by the NBA competition committee, which consists of players, players union representatives, coaches, governors, team executives and referees.

Under the flopping rule, when a referee whistles the penalty, an offending player is charged a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team is awarded one free throw attempt, which can be taken by any player in the game when the call is made.

Players cannot be ejected from a game due to flopping violations, unlike players who are whistled for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.

Regarding the NBA Cup, overtime scoring was removed from the point differential and total points tie-breakers.

The change was made to promote competitive fairness and begins when the 2024 NBA Cup tips off on 12 November.

Point differential and total points scored are the second and third tiebreakers after head-to-head record in group games in deciding which teams advance into the knockout rounds of the in-season tournament, which made its debut last season.

Games going to overtime in group play will now have a zero point differential while overtime points will not count toward a team’s overall point total for tie-breaking.

Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, a key figure in the team’s run to the NBA Finals, has had surgery to repair a broken left hand, the Mavs said on Tuesday.

“He sustained the injury earlier this month while training,” the team said in a brief statement, adding that further updates “will be provided as appropriate.”

Irving, an eight-time All-Star, averaged 22.2 points and 5.1 assists per game in the post-season, when the Mavs fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the championship series.

Irving dealt with a hand injury during this past season, when he sprained his thumb on his right shooting hand.