Detroit – JB Bickerstaff wanted an answer.
He got them, but they may not have been what he was looking for.
The Pistons may have had a real shot to tie the score in the second half of the Knicks’ 118-116 Game 3 victory on Thursday night at Little Caesar Arena.
Bickerstaff complained about the controversial non-call that would have given him the chance.
Dennis Schroeder posted three images of the play on his Instagram story along with an eyeball emoji.
However, the NBA says the decision was correct.
With 5.8 seconds left, Jalen Brunson received an inbound pass from Mikal Bridges.
Pass made him back towards his basket, but the ball first clapped his hand while he was on the front court.
Branson then stepped into the backcourt with the ball.
He was not asked to violate a backcourt despite pleas from the Pistons and their fans.
The Knicks were up 116-113 at the time, so if it had been called, the Pistons would have won the ball in one owned game with enough time to get a quality shot.
“Branson plays where you catch the ball on the front court, realizes that you’re ready to go to the back court and drops the ball,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “And the clock had a timeout in 5.8 seconds. So there’s a few procedural things about me having a question and I’m interested in hearing the answer.”
According to the rulebook, “if the momentum of the offensive player who received the pass takes him to the backcourt,” and if the receiving player does not fully own the ball in the frontcourt and establishes position, it is not a backcourt violation.
That’s exactly what Crew Chief Zach Zalba explained after the match.
“Rule 4, Section 6G, Frontcourt Backcourt status is not obtained until a player with the ball has established a positive position in either half during the last two minutes of the four period and the last two minutes of the overtime period,” Zarba said. “So obviously that’s where we were at that point, and the trajectory of Branson and the pass was heading towards the backcourt.
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“Branson’s momentum was to take him there when he touches the ball. Because of that momentum, he’s not considered to be in a positive position at that point. That’s why the play is legal.”
In other words, the reference determined that Branson had not established that he owned the frontcourt before he entered the backcourt.
On Friday, the NBA agreed that it was the right decision in a two-minute report.
“Branson’s momentum is not considered to be in the previous frontcourt position, as he takes him to the backcourt when he first touches the ball,” the league said in its report. “During the last two minutes of throw-in of the fourth period, players will not achieve frontcourt (or backcourt) status until they establish a positive position in half the court.”
