Celebrity Knicks fan Ben Stiller was even more furious than White Goodman at the end of “Dodgeball.”
Stiller was one of the many basketball fans upset by a questionable foul call on Jalen Brunson that gave the Rockets a 105-103 win on Monday night despite a wild comeback by the Knicks.
Brunson tried to contest Aaron Holiday’s final 3-pointer, but the referee ruled that Brunson made contact with the shooter before the buzzer and made three free throws to make it 103-103. The tie was broken.
“@NBAOfficial How are you going to deal with the terrible call by the Houston Knicks?” Stiller posted soon on X After the loss. “Brunson was fouled the entire game.” [Dillon] Brooks and a no call to end the game and take the game out of your hands. Brunson is an All-Star, but he didn’t commit a foul in this game. Wrong call. Overtime pay is required. ”
Mr. Stiller was not alone in his anger.
“I hope it’s not an overreaction to say that the referees who harmed the Knicks in that game should not only be fired from the NBA, but moved out of the country.” Posted by comedian Sam Morrill.
“One of the worst matches that could happen.” actor jerry ferrara the “Entourage” fame wrote. “Thisbus plays like a player all third quarter. DDV (Donte DiVincenzo) hurt. We’re still going to tie it. And to lose on a horrible call from 35 feet.”
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins also weighed in on the X.
“The officials ruined a great game of basketball,” Perkins wrote. “That was a call from BS to Brunson at the end of the Knicks-Rockets game.”
Neither head coach Tom Thibodeau nor Brunson directly addressed the on-court referee’s call.
“The umpires’ opinion — and this is what I generally feel — is that they don’t really care how close the game is,” Thibodeau said after the loss. “You can call it tight, you can call it loose, but I want the consistency to be the same. They have a job. They have to control and manage the game. They have to use their own judgment because that’s their first responsibility, and I respect that.”
Thibodeau also said very sarcastically that the referees were “great” when asked about it after the game.
Whenever Brunson was asked about the foul, he responded, “Great call, next question.”
The loss was the third in a row for the Knicks, who are limping toward the NBA All-Star break.
They have one final game before that — against the Magic in Orlando.
