The New York Knicks pulled off a sweet come from behind victory against the Detroit Pistons by the final count of 118-116. Jalen Brunson took over the game, culminating in a game-winning shot with under five seconds left. On the last play, he did something very surprising. His move to intentionally miss a free throw ignited huge conversations over the game’s rules.
With just 3.5 seconds remaining on the game clock, Brunson was fouled by Detroit’s Ausar Thompson as he was bringing the ball up court. After the foul, Brunson calmly walked to the free-throw line. He banged in the initial attempt, extending New York’s margin to 118-116. His coach Tom Thibodeau instructed Brunson to miss the second free throw on purpose. This approach was designed to prevent the Pistons from getting a rebound and a basket in the closing seconds.
It played out in spectacular fashion as Brunson received the pass near halfcourt. His body first seemed to land in the frontcourt before his momentum took him backcourt. This critical moment was later cited by referee Zach Zarba, who noted that Brunson’s action was in line with Rule 4, Section 6G of the league’s rulebook.
As Brunson palmed the ball while going in reverse, pandemonium ensued among the players and coaches on both sides of the ball. Detroit’s coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, expressed bewilderment over the call, stating, “He catches the ball in the frontcourt, recognizes that he’s getting ready to go into the backcourt, then drops the ball.”
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau had a harsh criticism of the changed officiating policy. In response, he stated, “To me, that doesn’t feel appropriate. The scenario sparked a firestorm of discussion between players and pundits. Others claimed it was a totally unpardonable blunder on the part of the officials.
“When it’s an inexcusable mistake like that, you should just let [the free throw shooter] go again. Because it was an intentional miss. … I feel like they for sure heard Thibs [telling Brunson] to miss it. They were right next to him. You know what that is, bro.”
This match was a display of a very physical fight. Five technical fouls and one flagrant foul were given during the spirited action, demonstrating the game’s playoff atmosphere. The stakes for both teams, as well as the tension between them, shaped the drama of those final moments.
Brunson, for his part, put together a spectacular performance in all areas of the fight. Even with that cliffhanger conclusion, his stats are still not public. The win gives the Knicks a 2-1 edge over the Pistons in their best of seven series.
Brunson’s late-game decisions and the subsequent officiating calls left both teams feeling aggrieved and questioning the fairness of the outcome.
“Brunson and the trajectory of the pass were headed toward the backcourt. Brunson’s momentum was taking him there when he touches the ball.” – Zach Zarba
As the series progresses, each team is given a difficult challenge. They need to beat the oftentimes questionable officiating that can determine the course of their playoff runs.
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