NBA clears officials on crucial no-call in Knicks vs. Raptors overtime loss

BY markoh January 18, 2023

The NBA examined the video a day after the Knicks’ foul-filled loss to the Raptors and exonerated its officials — at least late in the game — of any wrongdoing.

 

The Knicks’ 123-121 loss at Madison Square Garden on Monday night was not the subject of any missed calls (or missed no-calls), according to the league’s Last Two Minute Report, released Tuesday.

 

Tom Thibodeau, the coach of the Knicks, stated that he wanted to oversee the replays before criticizing the officials. However, he conceded that “it was hard to identify what a foul was.”

 

The NBA has acknowledged that on one controversial play, Toronto’s Scottie Barnes made contact with RJ Barrett’s “upper off-arm” just before his game-tying dunk with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. Barrett would have had a chance to give the Knicks the lead if there had been a foul call. The contact did “not influence the speed, quickness, balance, and rhythm of his shot,” according to the league, the swallowed whistle was ruled a legal no-call.

 

The officials “aren’t going to call a foul at that moment,” Barrett asserted on Monday. Just have to push yourself hard. It wasn’t really important who was there.

 

The Raptors committed 41 free throws, six more than the Knicks, while the Knicks received 28 foul calls, three more than the Raptors. Sixteen more 2-pointers were made by the Knicks than the Raptors, who shot 68, and this advantage frequently results in more fouls being called.

 

With 3:27 remaining overtime, Thibodeau contested a shooting foul on Jalen Brunson, claiming Barnes had shoved Brunson into Fred VanVleet. VanVleet made both free throw attempts after the challenge was rejected, extending the Raptors’ advantage to three.

 

The play was not evaluated in public since it did not arrive in the final two minutes.

 

“I don’t really care if a game is described as tight or loose. All I want is consistency, said Thibodeau. “That is what I seek. It was, therefore, physical. It was. A lot was happening. To confirm that I saw what I believed I saw, I want to watch it once more.

 

Kristaps Porzingis is anticipated to play in his fourth game at Madison Square Garden since the Knicks traded him four years ago when they meet the Wizards on Wednesday.

 

The 2015 fourth-overall pick made three previous trips while suffering from a ruptured ACL, and Knicks supporters booed him vehemently each time he did. The now 27-year-old Porzingis recently admitted that he had some regrets.

 

“Could I go back and make a different decision? For certainly, from our end,” Porzingis said last week to NBA.com. “I felt pain. It would have been very different if I had continued to play. I’m young and listen to what others say about what I should do for a profession. You have no idea better. That was the course of events at the moment.

 

I had a great time playing in New York and in front of those supporters, so I can only speak highly of the organization.

 

For Washington, Bradley Beal’s comeback is in doubt after missing five consecutive games after worsening a left hamstring strain ailment. Last week, the shooting guard resumed his regular basketball activities.

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