Knicks fans were furious after Monday's loss to the Knicks, as a foul call on Jalen Brunson with less than one second to go resulted in the game being decided at the free throw line instead of in overtime.
Speaking with The Athletic's Fred Katz after the game, crew chief Ed Malloy quickly admitted that the call on Brunson should have never been made.
"In live action it was felt that the lower body contact was illegal contact," Malloy told Katz. "After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor. 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 seemed to jump straight up and hold his arm in the air to contest the 3-point attempt by Aaron Holiday, and the foul was called despite the desperation heave seemingly having minimal to no contact involved.
The call spoiled a spirited comeback by the shorthanded Knicks, who erased a four-point deficit with less than a minute to go thanks to Brunson. Instead, they have lost three straight after starting the calendar year as the hottest team in the NBA.
