It may have only been a preseason game for the reigning NBA-champion New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, but one play in the first quarter had Finals MVP Jalen Brunson livid with an NBA referee.
It was a call that NBA fans should be watching closely heading into the regular season.
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In the first quarter, Brunson was down in the paint with Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert, fighting for position in a lopsided battle in terms of height and weight.
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As Brunson tried to stay under the basket, Gobert clearly pushed him in the back. Brunson sprawled forward and almost hit the deck before regaining his balance.
The play continued on, with Brunson running right back into the paint and getting in front of Gobert as a three-point shot was taken by newest Timberwolves star LaMelo Ball. It was true, swishing through the nylon for three points, but the baseline official blew his whistle.
The call? A technical foul on Brunson for flopping.
“Bulls—,” Brunson clearly said as the broadcast caught him sharing his displeasure as he inbounded the ball to a teammate.
The reason this call matters is due to an emphasis by officials on flopping heading into the 2026-27 season. There are numerous things they are focused on emphasizing this season, and NBA.com was clear that “stop with the flop” is atop the list.
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“Stop with the flop and those ‘exaggerated and theatrical’ movements in an attempt to get a call,” the article read on the league’s official site.
Sure, this is definitely something that basketball fans can rally behind. There have been many instances where players will contort their body, flail around and insinuate hard contact leading to foul calls for years. For some players, it’s become a key part of their game to get to the charity stripe for two free shots and help their team win games in that fashion.
In this case with Brunson, though, it was clear there was contact by Gobert, as his arms extended and Brunson reacted as such with a push in his back. He stumbled and tried to catch himself from falling.
The question, then, becomes where do refs draw the line? How will this be enforced during the season when flopping is viewed as a judgment call?
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Because flopping is also a technical foul, a free throw is awarded to the other team, and they get possession of the ball afterward. That’s quite a momentum shift, especially late in games and during playoff series.
So, this will certainly be something to look out for as the regular season is set to tip off in a week.
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