This past week, the New York Knicks went 3-1, with notable wins over Milwaukee, a big victory in Toronto, an impressive home dominance against San Antonio and a disappointing loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City.
The major talking point of Wednesday’s loss was the officiating. The Thunder were getting away with fouling New York; meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was launching himself into Knicks’ defenders and getting the call. As a fan, it is safe to say that watching Gilgeous-Alexander’s style of play is an eyesore. The 27-year-old is second in the league in free throws attempted per game with 9.2. Foul-baiting at 6-foot-6 is unethical, in many people’s eyes (Before anyone gets on Jalen Brunson for doing the same, Brunson is outside of the top 30 in free throws attempted per game.).
Late in the first quarter, the reigning MVP had two fouls and couldn’t risk picking up his third. However, he went barreling into Brunson, who had his feet set, to pick up his third foul. No whistle was blown, nothing. Everyone in Madison Square Garden knew it was a charge except for the officiating crew. Knicks’ head coach Mike Brown was irate, the most upset he’s been all reason and rightfully so. Brown voiced his opinion on SGA.
“He does a great job of convincing the referees better than anybody in the league that he’s getting hit,” Brown said, acknowledging the craft involved, even if not everyone agrees.
Fast forward to the final minutes of the game, OG Anunoby knocked over Kenrich Williams on a similar play, yet that was called a charge. Anunoby initially scored on the play, but it was called back. These calls cost the Knicks the game, as they ended up losing by three points.
The discussions around Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander fouls have persisted throughout the season. For instance, Minnesota Timberwolves’ head coach Chris Finch was ejected early in a game against Oklahoma City following a non-call on a play he strongly disagreed with. He voiced his frustration with officials and was later fined $35,000. Some argue the Thunder are simply using the rules to their advantage, while others question the fairness of the calls.
Aside from the officiating, the Knicks easily could have won this game; Brunson was not his normal self, scoring just 16 points on 5-18 shooting. Mitchell Robinson was out due to the game being a back-to-back, and New York could not make key free throws, shooting 16-22.
Yes, this loss was frustrating, but there are a lot of positives we can take from the game. Taking the defending champions to the final possession of the game means they can compete with the best.
Next week sees the Big East Tournament hosted at Madison Square Garden, which means the Knicks will head out west to face the Nuggets, Lakers, Clippers, Jazz and wrap up the road trip in Indiana.
It’s been a tough stretch of games as of late, but facing tough teams late in the season can shape up the Knicks for the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see Robinson’s matchup against Nikola Jokic, as in the last matchup, Robinson scored 10 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting. The Joker will be out for revenge after having a game to forget, shooting 1-13 from downtown back on Feb. 4.
We are just about a month out of the playoffs, and the Knicks need to start clicking. With Celtics forward Jayson Tatum set to return Friday night, the Eastern Conference has just become far more competitive.