The NBA on Wednesday denied the sport protest filed by the New York Knicks within the aftermath of their 105-103 loss on the Houston Rockets earlier this month.
The Knicks determined to submit their protest with the league to dispute the Feb. 12 loss, citing the controversial last-second foul name that led to the Rockets’ victory.
The NBA’s Final Two Minute Report and recreation crew chief Ed Malloy acknowledged that the foul name on Knicks guard Jalen Brunson towards Houston’s Aaron Vacation inside the ultimate second was incorrectly referred to as.
The next has been launched by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/zdF29Swrva
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 28, 2024
“After seeing it throughout postgame evaluate, the offensive participant was capable of return to a traditional taking part in place on the ground,” Malloy mentioned. “The contact which occurred after the discharge of the ball subsequently is incidental and marginal to the shot try and shouldn’t have been referred to as.”
Nonetheless, it was not sufficient for the league to uphold the protest.
“New York was required to exhibit that there was a misapplication of the official taking part in guidelines, versus an error in judgment by recreation officers,” the league mentioned in a launch. “As a result of the foul name at challenge mirrored an error in judgment, New York didn’t exhibit a misapplication of the taking part in guidelines, and the extraordinary treatment of upholding a recreation protest was not warranted.”
The Knicks and Rockets aren’t scheduled to play once more this season.
Solely six protests have been upheld in NBA historical past
Brunson drained a 15-footer with 8.1 seconds remaining, tying the rating. Vacation then tried a heave earlier than the buzzer, and Brunson was referred to as for a foul on the play.
Vacation made two free throws with lower than a second left on the clock. He deliberately missed the third to expire the clock. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned it was a “robust technique to lose a recreation” throughout the postgame interview.
Since New York’s protest didn’t show the “misapplication” of a longtime NBA rule, it had no probability to be upheld by the league, in line with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
Jalen Brunson was referred to as for a foul on Aaron Vacation’s prayer for the win 😱pic.twitter.com/h2567TaaLg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 13, 2024
Solely six protests have been upheld in NBA historical past, and only one protest has been upheld within the final 41 years. That one was filed by the Miami Warmth after their 114-111 additional time loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 19, 2007.
Warmth heart Shaquille O’Neal was incorrectly dominated to have six fouls when he had solely 5 towards Atlanta. The sport was resumed March 8, 2008, to play the remaining 51.9 seconds from the wrong name.
Neither staff scored, and the Hawks’ 114-111 win was last. Although, it was a clumsy expertise for each groups.
Earlier than the sport was resumed, O’Neal had been traded to the Phoenix Suns. The Hawks additionally dealt 4 gamers for Mike Bibby on the deadline. The league allowed each groups to make use of gamers acquired because the disputed recreation.
Shawn Marion, who got here to Miami within the O’Neal commerce, was within the Warmth’s lineup. Marion performed for 2 completely different groups on the identical day, and he misplaced each occasions. He scored 23 factors for the Suns of their Dec. 19 loss at Dallas. Plus, he performed 52 seconds for the Warmth.