Paul George. Image via: Brian Sevald/National Basketball Association via Getty Images
Paul George has been fined $2,000 by the NBA for flopping in his Celtics debut. The league announced the penalty Wednesday, a day after Boston’s 121-113 season-opening loss in Detroit. The nine-time All-Star also scored more points than any Celtic has in a debut, while Boston gave away a 22-point lead. Here is what the league saw on that play, and what else George did in about 31 minutes. The NBA posted the result on X on Wednesday, October 21, saying George was “assessed a postgame Flopping fine of $2,000 upon league office review. The announcement came less than 24 hours after the final buzzer.
One play with about three minutes left drew the review, and it was only one piece of a busy first night. As there were about three minutes left in regulation, George ran in transition and bumped Duncan Robinson. The contact was light. George went down hard anyway, and the league office ruled the fall a flop.
He scored 21 for the Pistons, 15 of them in the fourth quarter, when Detroit ran off 23 straight points to take over the game. George scored 38 points in about 31 minutes, topping the 30 Kristaps Porzingis put up in his own Celtics debut. George made 12 of 21 shots and went 7 for 8 at the line. Only five other players in NBA history have matched 38 points, five rebounds, five steals and seven threes in a single game. Tatum made six of 23 shots and missed all seven threes, though he handed out 11 assists.
Robinson, the player George ran into, had a good night himself. The line also had five rebounds, three assists and five steals. George also passed Kyle Korver on the all-time three-point list. Boston acquired George over the summer from Philadelphia in exchange for Jaylen Brown. George is also a co-captain with Jayson Tatum, who had a rough opener.
The rulebook treats flops two ways. One called during play costs the offender a technical foul and gives the other team a free throw. One found afterward, like this one, brings a fine, and the amounts rise for repeat offenders. No suspension comes with it, so George is free to play Friday.