The officiating in the NBA has been all over the place this season. From obvious missed calls to dishing out techs for no apparent reason — the refs haven’t been at their best. But during Game 5 of the series between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, things came to a head with an Indiana Pacers legend after a foul call involving Jalen Brunson.

Who’s the legend in question? Well, it’s TNT commentator, Reggie Miller. And Miller was not amused by the call the official made in the fourth quarter. It all occurred when Al Horford allegedly fouled the Knicks’ point guard.

“Look at the right foot. Foot-to-foot contact. I’ve got to say I disagree with this because I don’t know if you’re Al. What are you supposed to do if you’re Al Horford? You’re sliding your feet, your hands are back. You’re not making contact. It’s Brunson going forward, and then he kind of rolls that left ankle,” said Miller.

Fans know Miller as an amazing basketball player, but not the best when it comes to commentary. But even his most ardent hater can’t deny what he’s getting at here. Reggie’s point of contention is quite straightforward. If you’re Al Horford, there’s really not much you can do if the referee decides to award Jalen Brunson the foul. And considering referees have named an offensive foul after Miller, it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about them.

That said, the Knicks star did well to draw the foul call even if Reggie disagrees. But aside from this foul call, Jalen Brunson actually found himself on the wrong end of the official’s calls tonight. And it all reached the tipping point midway through the final quarter as the Knicks missed the opportunity to eliminate the reigning champions.

Jalen Brunson fouls out as Knicks drop Game 5 to the Celtics

Jalen Brunson got off to a relatively slow start in tonight’s game. But his team managed to stay the course, keeping things competitive till Brunson came alive in the second quarter going 4-6 from the field. Sadly, things would go awry for the Knicks after halftime.

The Celtics managed to outscore them 32-17 in the third. But that’s not even the worst part. Jalen somehow picked up an insane 5 personal fouls in the third quarter, capping off an abysmal third quarter for the Knicks. And he wasn’t alone in this. Karl-Anthony Towns also had some foul trouble, picking up 4 by the end of the third quarter.

And what all this led to was the Knicks barely trying in the fourth quarter. The Celtics played really well, managing to lead by 28 points at one point — their largest lead in this series. And to make matters worse for New York, Brunson, who was sitting on 5 fouls, got called for another one. As a result, Brunson was booted from the game as the undermanned Celtics handed the Knicks a deflating loss at .the TD Garden

All in all, the New York Knicks wasted a golden opportunity to bounce the Celtics in 5 games. But now, they have the opportunity to give their home fans a treat by beating the Celtics at home. But if tonight’s game showed us one thing, it’s that the reigning champs aren’t going down with a fight!

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