New York Knicks forward Josh Hart is known for his physical, hard-working style that is quite effective for basketball games. However, his karate-style kick to the head did not fit that description. That led to his ejection from the Knicks’ 108-100 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. In the first quarter, when Hart was driving to the basket, Javonte Green ripped the ball from his hands. As he landed, Hart stuck out his leg and kicked Green in the back of the head, sending the Bulls guard to the ground. Officials quickly reviewed the play and upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 2 on Hart, leading to his automatic ejection.
According to crew chief Scott Foster, criteria for a flagrant foul include cheering, impact, follow-up, potential for injury, whether it was a non-basketball play and place of contact. He stated that all these criteria were met for their decision. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau disagreed with the referee’s assessment, calling it a “tough call.” The incident seemed to inspire Green, who continued to have an impressive performance, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds, setting career highs in both categories. The Bulls’ win kept them ahead of the Atlanta Hawks in the race for the No. 9 seed.
Despite their loss in Game 1 of their series against Chicago during NBA Playoffs First Round action at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night (4/17/21), OG Anunoby returned after missing nine games with an elbow injury and played well in limited minutes (29) scoring 12 points as they fell short of victory with a final score of 108-100 while Chicago secured home court advantage for game two with this win over New York
