Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams has criticized NBA referees for what he called the “worst call of the season” after the Pistons suffered a heartbreaking 113-111 defeat to the New York Knicks on February 26.
In a thrilling game at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks gained a crucial advantage in the final moments when officials failed to penalize New York’s Donte DiVincenzo for a clear foul on Pistons forward Ausar Thompson as they both fought for a loose ball with Detroit leading 111-110.
The Knicks regained possession amidst the chaos, allowing Jalen Brunson to pass the ball to Josh Hart, who made the winning layup before adding a free throw to secure the victory.
NBA referee James Williams later admitted that officials had made a mistake and should have called a foul on DiVincenzo.
“Upon post-game review, we determined that Thompson got to the ball first and was then deprived of the opportunity to gain possession of the ball,” he said. “Therefore, a loose ball foul should have been called on New York’s Donte DiVincenzo.”
However, Williams was still furious about the officiating error 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 no call,” he said. “That’s unacceptable. You cannot miss that in an NBA game. Period.”
Williams also revealed that Detroit, which has the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 8-49, had previously raised officiating concerns with the NBA through official channels earlier in the season.
“That was absolutely the worst call of the season,” he added. “Enough is enough. We’ve done everything right. We’ve contacted the league. We’ve sent in clips. We’re tired of hearing the same excuses over and over again.
“That situation is a perfect example of what we’ve been dealing with all season long… You cannot dive into a guy’s legs in a crucial game like that and not have a call. It’s ridiculous, and we’re fed up with it.
“We want a fair game, and that was not fair.”
Brunson led the Knicks with 35 points and 12 assists, while Hart added 23 points and DiVincenzo contributed 21. Shooting guard Cade Cunningham led Detroit’s scorers with 32 points.
In another game, Dennis Schroder scored 18 points as the Brooklyn Nets, under interim coach Kevin Ollie, secured their first win with a wire-to-wire, 111-86 victory over 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 did not play on February 26 but unveiled their new look, which will accompany their new home beginning with 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 organization’s maritime roots and a symbol of its direction.
The new jerseys feature a modernized 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 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 the bedrocks of our past and our future. Our new marks are meaningful and strong, capturing our roots and our aspirations.”
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