Detroit Pistons coach, Monty Williams could not hold back his frustrations as he referred to a late missed foul call vs New York as an “abomination”. This comes after Williams already expressed his frustrations with officials, and it looks like this was his final straw.
NBA News: Monty Williams Furious After Missed Foul Call Vs Knicks
The Pistons lost the game 113-111, and it does seem like a game Detroit was capable of winning. They were up 111-110 when Donte DiVincenzo turned the ball over to the Pistons. Ausar Thompson picked up the ball and proceeded to make his way up the court.
DeVincenzo stopped the play from progressing by diving into Thompson’s legs, which led to Ausar to trip over. No foul was called, which allowed Jalen Brunson to pick up the stray ball and pass to Josh Hart, who helped New York walk away with a win after a three-point play.
“Worst Call Of The Season”
Monty Williams couldn’t believe that no foul was called on such a play. He said the following:
“The absolute worst call of the season. Enough is enough!”
‘The absolute worst call of the season,’ Williams said in response to late drama that concluded the game. ‘No call. And enough’s enough. We’ve done it the right way, we’ve called the league, we’ve sent in clips. We’re sick of hearing the same stuff over and over again.
‘We had a chance to win the game, and the guy dove into Ausar’s legs. And there was a no-call- that’s an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game, period.’
I’m tired of talking about it. I’m tired of our guys asking me ‘What more can we do, coach?’ That situation is exhibit A of what we’ve been dealing with all season long. And enough’s enough. You cannot dive into a guy’s legs in a big-time game like that and there be a no-call.’
‘It’s ridiculous and we’re tired of it. We just want a fair game called, period. And I got nothing else to say. We want a fair game, and that was not fair, I’m done,’ said Williams.
Refs Admit Missing The Call
After his minute-long rant, Williams removed himself from the press room promptly. Later on however, the Crew Chief for the game, James Williams, went on to admit the missed foul call vs the Knicks, and that a loose foul ball should have been called.
QUESTION: Why was a foul not called when Donte DiVincenzo made contact with Ausar Thompson near halfcourt with approximately eight seconds to go in the game?
WILLIAMS: Upon postgame review, we determined that Thompson gets to the ball first, and then was deprived of the opportunity to gain possession of the ball. Therefore, a loose ball foul should have been whistled on New York’s Donte DiVincenzo.
QUESTION: So, if he hadn’t had possession of the ball, could a collision happen there? Would that have been a no foul then? If you had ruled that Thompson didn’t have control of the ball, would that have been a no foul?
WILLIAMS: If the ball is loose, players on both teams have equal opportunity to it. It becomes a matter of who gets there first.
QUESTION: And then postgame, you reviewed it and determined that Thompson gets there first.
WILLIAMS: We determined that his left hand gets to the ball prior to DiVincenzo’s hand getting to it
More Detroit Disappointment
Despite Cade Cunningham’s 32 points, the Pistons dropped a close one to the Knicks as 11.5-point underdogs 😯 pic.twitter.com/rpdY8Tf76G
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBet) February 27, 2024
The last seconds of this game were unforgettable. Both teams struggled to maintain possession throughout the game, and this was largely due to the Knicks missing multiple shots. When Thompson obtained the ball, Pistons fans would have felt confident in his ability to score and win the game.
This loss leads the Pistons’ to a shocking 8-49 record, the worst in the league, and their desperation for a win only grows as the season goes on. It was only last weekend when Monty Williams felt he had to express his frustration with officiating issues. This was after he noticed Cade Cunnigham’s struggles to get to the line despite many efforts to do so.
Cunningham had another impressive display as he put up 32 points for Detroit. Jalen Duren was able to add 11 points and 16 rebounds in an attempt to get the much-needed win. Ausar Thompson had seven points and four rebounds before the unfortunate challenge.
Jalen Brunson had 35 points and 12 assists in the Knicks win, with Josh Hart bringing 23 points and eight rebounds to the table. DiVincenzo scored a 21-point game, all in all, leaving the Knicks with a 35-32 record.
