Collin Sexton’s feud with the basket at the Barclays Center has turned costly.
The NBA fined the Chicago Bulls guard $35,000 on Tuesday night after he flipped off the hoop during the team’s 123-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.
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Sexton was shooting free throws late in the third quarter, and his first attempt was off the mark. Sexton ended up making his second attempt, but he immediately looked at the rim and raised his left middle finger angrily as he jogged back the other way.
While the “inappropriate gesture” was very brief and didn’t impact the game whatsoever, it will draw a fine from the league every time.
Sexton finished the night with 21 points and five rebounds, going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. The 27-year-old has averaged 14.4 points and 3.7 assists while shooting better than 48% from the field this season, his eighth in the league.
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Monday was just Sexton’s second game with the Bulls. He was dealt there ahead of the trade deadline last week in a deal that sent Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets.
The Bulls have now lost five straight and eight of their last nine games. They will enter Wednesday’s game against Boston Celtics, their final contest before the All-Star break, with a 24-30 record. While there is still time to rally, Sexton and the Bulls are very much on pace to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season.