One game into the new season, and the referees already have admitted to missing a key call against the Knicks.
The NBA referees’ official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted a clarification that the officials mistakenly called a flopping technical foul against Knicks guard Jalen Brunson with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s 108-104 season-opening loss to the Celtics at the Garden.
Brunson went down to the ground after a missed 3-point attempt, but he appeared to land on the foot of Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who converted the technical free throw.
“We missed the foot to foot contact which should have resulted in a personal foul [on Tatum] and reviewed for flagrant,” wrote @OfficialNBARefs. “Had no foot to foot contact existed, this type of secondary and theatrical movement by Brunson would meet the criteria for a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul for flopping.
“It is possible to have a foul and a flop on the same play, but the foot to foot contact is what causes Brunson’s movement and no flop should have been called.”
Former Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis also was called for a flop in the fourth quarter, something the league has instructed the refs to crack down on this season.
After Thursday’s practice in Tarrytown, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t take the referees to task for the admitted blown call.
“Nah, It does no good now, and those plays are tough,” said Thibodeau, who lost a challenge on a foul called against Immanuel Quickley earlier in the game. “Same thing with Quick’s call, it could go either way and they’re making those decisions in real time. It’s not an easy job. So you just move on.”
Thibodeau added that he supports the league’s crackdown, saying, “I think the intent is good. I’m in favor. … I like the intention of what they’re trying to do. I think it’s good.”
Starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes took no shots in the first quarter, and finished with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
Asked after the game if he needs to change anything to get more shots within the Knicks’ offense, Grimes said, “There’s just quarters like that. Knowing my role on the team, I gotta figure out certain places I can space on the court so they can see me. It don’t take much time to get my shot off, so I know if I get a little bit of space, I can get it off and knock it down. So it’s just [taking] what the defense gives me.”
