Australian basketball star Dyson Daniels ejected after fiery brawl in Atlanta Hawks’ blow-out loss to New York Knicks
Australian basketball star Dyson Daniels and the Atlanta Hawks had a bit of a fight, but it ended in ejections on a night that saw the New York Knicks put together a record-breaking performance to advance to the second round of the NBA play-offs on Friday (AEST).
Their frustrations escalated when Daniels and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson tangled while making free throws with 4:39 left in the second quarter of game six of the first-round playoff series at State Farm Arena.
With the Hawks trailing by an all-time record 47 points in the playoffs, Robinson became angry when Daniels elbowed him, causing Robinson to land on the stubborn guard’s face. Players and officials took action to separate the duo.
The fight spread to fans in the front row, and most members of both teams on the field appeared to be involved.
After the referees reviewed the footage, Daniels and Robinson were given technical fouls and were removed from the game. During the argument, one of the referees fell to the ground.
Veteran pundit Mike Breen, who called for action on ESPN, immediately noticed Robinson’s frustration.
“Oh, Robinson and Dyson are being held back too…Brett Barneke goes down! Robinson wants to go after someone,” he said.
“They’re trying to separate the two. Robinson is really upset. The frustrations for the Hawks are happening right now.”
It was a dirty night for the Hawks, who were down 3-2 in the series and were trying to keep the season alive.
Knicks finished the first half ahead 83-36; it was the largest halftime deficit ever in an NBA playoff game, and they went on to win 140-89. It was the Knicks’ biggest score in playoff history.
While center Karl Anthony-Towns made a triple double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, OG Anunoby broke his team’s record with 29 points, and point guard Jalen Brunson played with 17 points and 8 assists.
Daniels scored three points in the 15 minutes before being ejected. Guard Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points, while star shooter CJ McCollum, the hero of the second and third games, could only hold 11 points on 4-13 shooting from the field.
The Knicks will play the winner of the series between Boston and Philadelphia. The sixth match will be played on Friday (AEST).
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Jon Pierik is a sports reporter for The Age. He covers the AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect with: X or email.
