NEW YORK – Detroit coach Monty Williams has slammed National Basketball Association (NBA) referees for making the “worst call of the season” – after the Pistons slumped to an agonising last-gasp 113-111 defeat by the New York Knicks on Feb 26.
A thrilling clash at Madison Square Garden swung decisively in favour of the Knicks in the closing seconds, when officials failed to penalise New York’s Donte DiVincenzo for a blatant foul on Pistons forward Ausar Thompson as the two tussled for a loose ball with Detroit leading 111-110.
The Knicks recovered possession in the chaos, allowing Jalen Brunson to move the ball to Josh Hart, who drove in what turned out to be the winning lay-up before adding a free throw to seal victory.
NBA referee James Williams later admitted officials had blundered and should have called a foul on DiVincenzo.
“Upon post-game review we determined that Thompson gets to the ball first, and then was deprived of the opportunity to gain possession of the ball,” he said.
“Therefore a loose ball foul should have been whistled on New York’s Donte DiVincenzo.”
But the official’s mea culpa is unlikely to placate Williams, who was incandescent at the officiating howler in his post-game press conference.
“We had a chance to win the game and the guy dove into (Thompson’s) legs and there was a no call,” he fumed.
“That’s an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game. Period.”
Williams also said Detroit – who are bottom of the Eastern Conference with a league-worst 8-49 record – had raised officiating grievances with the NBA through formal channels earlier this season.
“The absolutely worst call of the season,” he added.
“Enough is enough. We’ve done it the right way. We’ve called the league. We’ve sent in clips. We’re sick of hearing the same stuff over and over again.
“That situation is Exhibit A to what we’ve been dealing with all season long... You cannot dive into a guy’s legs in a big-time game like that and there be a no-call. It’s ridiculous and we’re tired of it.
“We want a fair game and that was not fair.”
Brunson led the scoring for New York with 35 points to go with his 12 assists, with Hart adding 23 points and DiVincenzo 21. Shooting guard Cade Cunningham led Detroit’s scorers with 32 points.
In another game, Dennis Schroder scored 18 points as the visiting Brooklyn Nets earned their first win under interim coach Kevin Ollie, a wire-to-wire, 111-86 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies.
After being outscored by 93 points in their previous three games, the Nets dominated Ollie’s third game since he took over from Jacque Vaughn.
Brooklyn also ended a four-game losing streak and won for the second time in nine games.
The Los Angeles Clippers were not in action on Feb 26, when they unveiled the new look that will accompany their new home from the 2024-25 season.
The team’s new logo features a Clippers “C” that surrounds the points of a compass and an oncoming ship with basketball seams on the hull – a nod to the organisation’s maritime roots and a symbol of its direction.
The new jerseys feature a modernised classic script in naval blue, ember red and Pacific blue. The look will be fresh when the Clippers open their new home, the US$2 billion (S$2.69 billion) Intuit Dome, in Inglewood, California.
“We have been on a long journey, gathering feedback and insights from across Clipper Nation,” Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker said in a statement.
“We listened to as many voices as we could and then engaged specialists to arrive at a timeless design that blends bedrocks of our past and our future. Our new marks are meaningful and strong, capturing our roots and our aspirations.” AFP, REUTERS
