You know that moment when you’re watching a thriller, popcorn in hand, and the plot twist leaves you yelling at the screen? That was basically everyone watching Game 3 of the Knicks-Pacers series—except instead of plot twists, it was a whistle that left the community hurling their grievances at referees, courtesy of an outrageous foul involving Tyrese Haliburton.

As the Knicks arrived at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday trailing the series 2-0, clinching a win had become imperative. By the end of the game, it was clear the team was clearly on a mission. Hanging by a playoff thread, the Knicks somehow clawed their way back up a 20-point deficit. Karl-Anthony Towns summoned his inner Dirk in the fourth quarter, dropping 20 of his 24 points in the final 12 minutes. This was the second-most fourth-quarter points by a Knicks player since 1997.

What’s also notable was head coach Tom Thibodeau’s decision to make some changes to the starting lineup. With Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns’ effectiveness taking a hit, especially during the playoffs, Hart was benched in favor of Mitchell Johnson. Thankfully, the plan worked. After the 106-100 victory, Towns iterated, “Tonight we got to show that never-say-quit attitude. It’s a testament to everyone in the locker room.” Unfortunately, though, perfection is an oxymoron, and the Knicks’ celebration was almost halted with precisely 9.7 seconds left.

The controversy unfolded when Haliburton, setting up what looked like a drive-and-kick, barely made contact with Bridges, who was playing defense. Immediately, the Knicks player was hit with a foul—a decision that didn’t go too well with TNT’s Stan Van Gundy. “Are you kidding? I don’t get this. The way they have called the game throughout the playoffs and tonight, that’s a foul? That’s a foul? That’s a foul in the 2025 playoffs?” he blasted.

Reggie Miller, sitting beside him, also echoed the same opinion with a facial expression that closely resembled, “Even I can’t defend this.” And that’s saying something because Miller has been seen defending some wild instances while commentating before (like his own career three-point takes). Notably, this comes less than a week after another fouling controversy.

A few hours after Game 1 (that the Pacers ultimately won 138-135), the New York Post‘s Stephen Bondy informed via X, “Two minute report is out from last night. NBA says it missed two calls, both disadvantaging Indiana. Mikal Bridges fouled Obi Toppin on dunk attempt with 20 seconds left in OT. (Wasn’t called) Towns fouled Nesmith with about 2 minutes left in OT (wasn’t called)”. 

Looks like the Pacers haven’t been very lucky lately. As for Tyrese Haliburton, he’s surely thankful he downed both the free throws to Van Gundy’s dismay.

Tyrese Haliburton: Hooper or Houdini?

Haliburton had a solid stat line. But with fans and analysts comparing that late foul to “a light breeze on a summer’s day,” the focus has shifted from his game to the officiating.

It’s not the first time the 2025 playoffs have turned into a referee-themed drama. Remember Game 1 of OKC vs. Minnesota? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned the court into a charity stripe festival with 13 drawn fouls. ESPN’s Doris Burke questioned if refs were handing out fouls like Oprah handed out cars.

And then there’s the legend of Scott Foster—aka “The Extender”—so named because teams trailing in series somehow magically win when he’s reffing. Coincidence? The internet says: hard no.

Meanwhile, replay reviews are becoming the modern-day plague of playoff pacing. The flow gets chopped up more than an Allen Iverson highlight reel, and nobody—not the fans, not the players—likes sitting through five minutes of frame-by-frame beard-scratching.

Was the Bridges foul on Haliburton actually a foul? Depends on if you’re a Knicks fan or own a Haliburton jersey. But what’s clear is this: officiating is under the microscope like never before.

From burner X accounts (shoutout Eric Lewis) to Last Two Minute Reports more controversial than Kyrie’s top 5 player lists, the league’s got an optics problem. And in a high-stakes, legacy-defining postseason, one iffy whistle is all it takes to flip the narrative.

So yes, Haliburton made the shots. But the foul call? That’s still echoing through basketball barbershops, Reddit threads, and TNT booths everywhere. And as Stan Van Gundy might put it: “If that’s a foul, then I’ve been watching the wrong sport.”