The National Basketball Association fined the Dallas Mavericks 750000 for what the league described as a deliberate effort to lose to the Chicago Bulls on April 8. The game ended 112 to 115 in favor of Chicago, and the league’s press office released the notice of the penalty.
The league stated that Dallas violated its player-recession policy and, through its actions and statements, signaled a wish to forfeit the game to improve the team’s chances of a higher draft pick in the 2023 season. The NBA noted that it did not identify players involved in the game as actively attempting to win the contest.
Dallas finished the season outside the playoffs, ranking 11th in the Western Conference standings. Chicago ended ninth in the West and earned a spot in the play-in tournament. The Milwaukee Bucks secured the top position in the Western Conference.
Sergey Monya, a former member of the Russian national team who later played for Zenit, commented on his NBA experience. He represented his country in the 2005–2006 season in the league and later pursued a career overseas.