An unmistakable flop by Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler was good enough to cause Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins to foul out of the game during the final minute of regulation in Tuesday night's game at Sleep Train Arena.
Cousins and Chandler were fighting for position underneath the basket on a Kings offensive possession with under 30 seconds left and the game tied at 99 apiece. Chandler sold the flop by throwing his head back even though there was no excessive contact from Cousins, and it was good enough for referee Lauren Holtkamp, who was behind the play on the baseline, to call the foul. The foul was the sixth on Cousins for the game, forcing him to the bench for the rest of the game.
Cousins led the Kings with 32 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists, and his absence was felt in overtime as the Mavs outlasted the Kings 109-105.
As for Chandler, he might not even get a fine for this play because he has not received a prior public warning for flopping, even though his flop arguably won the game for the Mavs. This would seem to be clear evidence that the NBA's flopping policy is not working. Not only are players continuing to do it, but they are also still successful in drawing the cheap foul calls.
Video via Yahoo! Sports. H/T BDL.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
