Did NBA referees just admit they robbed the Knicks?

Referees are calling techs left and right. The NBA is cracking down on floppers. Are they acting the fools, too?

Yes, of course!

In a very public and shameful statement released on Thursday, Oct. 26, one day after the New York Knicks lost their first game of the season, the NBA and their referee collective admitted to have cheated and robbed the Knicks off a chance of beating the C’s. Holy sheesh...

“We missed the foot to foot contact which should have resulted in a personal foul and reviewed for flagrant,” said the message shared on the NBA Refs account in X (formerly known as Twitter).

That might or might have not impacted the final result—the wrong call was made with 6:40 left to play int he fourth quarter—but one thing is factual and that’s the score then and there: NYK 88, BOS 86. The outcome of the tech? Jayson Tatum scored three freebies (one off the tech called on Jalen Brunson, two off a foul called on Julius Randle), tied the match, and the Celtics went on to win the game.

Had the refs played it correctly and legally, without incurring in robbery, Brunson would have been the one sent to the line to attempt three free-throw shots as Tatum was the perpetrator of the actual foul by placing his foot on a very dubious and dangerous position right on Brunson’s landing spot following the shot.

Again, the Knicks were leading the game 88-86. The free throws definitely weren’t falling for New York on Wednesday, I know, but even hitting one of them (or none!) would have benefited the Knicks on their way to pulling off their own particular come-from-behind victory. Best-case scenario? You’re looking at an 91-86, five-point lead. Worst-case scenario? You keep the two-point advantage.

No, sir. Because NBA referees must protect the integrity of #thisleague by calling off floppers and showing their sophistries to the free world in order to shame and disgrace them and the Association to keep their reputed name impeccable and free of stains.

Following this sad development, we can only hope for two things: the refs stop calling flops where they’re not, and the Knicks fix their own free-throw-shooting woes.