The Atlanta Hawks didn’t need Trae Young to beat the Boston Celtics to open up NBA Cup play two weeks ago.
But the Hawks would have kept money in their pockets if they had played the star guard.
The NBA announced Tuesday they fined the Hawks $100,000 for violating the league’s player participation policy. Young was ruled out for the contest due to right Achilles tendinitis, but the NBA deemed he was actually healthy enough to suit up.
“Following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, the NBA determined that the Hawks held Young out of a game that he could have played in under the medical standard in the policy,” the NBA released in a statement. “The organization’s conduct violated the policy, which is intended to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season.”
The game against the Celtics was the only game Young missed so far this season. The three-time All-Star returned to the Hawks lineup in their very next game after defeating Boston and played 33 minutes in a double-digit win over the Washington Wizards.
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The Hawks stunned the Celtics, 117-116, without Young as Dyson Daniels poured in a career-high 28 points. It one of three losses Boston has on the season and the Celtics haven’t lost since then, ripping off six straight wins.
Besting the Celtics was important for the Hawks when it came to the NBA Cup. Atlanta is at the top of the Group C standings and can surprisingly advance to the knockout round with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
