Officials incorrectly called a shooting foul on New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson at the end of Monday’s 105-103 loss to the Houston Rockets, crew chief Ed Malloy said.
With 0.1 seconds left in the tied contest, referees called Brunson for a foul on Aaron Holiday as the Rockets guard attempted a 3-pointer. Holiday went to the free-throw line and converted two of the three shots to win the game.”After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor,” Malloy said, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. “The contact which occurred after the release of the ball, therefore, is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”
Brunson had made a step-back shot to tie up the contest on the prior possession.
When asked about the foul three times postgame, Brunson responded with, “Great call. Next question,” on each occasion, according to Katz.
Knicks wing Josh Hart appeared to react to Malloy’s comments on social media.The Knicks drop to 33-21 with the loss. They face the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
