In a bold move, the New York Knicks have officially lodged a protest with the NBA over their recent 105-103 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets. This decision, made on Tuesday evening, stems from a contentious foul call on Knicks’ Jalen Brunson against the Rockets’ Aaron Holiday in the crucial final moments of Monday night’s game. According to sources, the Knicks’ protest is grounded in both the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report and statements from game crew chief Ed Malloy, acknowledging the inaccuracy of the foul call that led to Holiday’s game-winning free throws.
With the Knicks and Rockets not slated to face each other again this season, New York’s appeal aims to either initiate overtime for a tie game resolution or seek an alternative method to offset the loss. However, the NBA’s criteria for protest success requires proof of a rule’s misapplication rather than just a missed call, setting a high bar for the Knicks’ complaint.
Amidst a three-game losing streak and plagued by injuries, the Knicks, currently positioned fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-21 record, eagerly anticipate the upcoming All-Star Break. Historical precedence for NBA protest approvals is rare, with only six instances recorded, the latest being in 2007 involving a miscount of Shaquille O’Neal’s fouls in a game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks.
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