Yesterday, spectators at the Toyota Center witnessed one of the worst foul calls in NBA history. With less than a second left on the clock and the game tied at 103 apiece, Jalen Brunson made a last-ditch attempt to block Aaron Holiday’s three-pointer. Holiday missed his shot, but referee Jacyn Goble called a controversial foul on Brunson. Holiday scored two out of three free-throws, as the Rockets clinched a crucial victory over the Knicks.

Fans and analysts were left shocked by the poor officiating witnessed during the game. Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst, Kendrick Perkins, described the foul call as “one of the worst calls.” During a conversation on the First Take, Perkins said, “Hell yeah, they were robbed. That was one of the worst calls I’ve seen in NBA history… The officials messed up a great basketball game… At the end of the day, this was bad for the game.”

Crew chief Ed Malloy admitted that the referee made a mistake in the pool-report after the game. He said, “After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor. The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”

This season, fans, players and analysts have raised questions regarding the subpar standard of officiating in several games. The dubious refereeing that happened in the Knicks vs Rockets game isn’t a one-off incident; rather, it has become commonplace throughout the 2023-24 season, with numerous instances of questionable refereeing decisions.

Other questionable officiating incidents this season

On 30th December, LeBron James hit a clutch three-pointer in the dying minutes of a game against the Timberwolves. However, the shot was adjudged to be a two-pointer. Despite video evidence showing a clear gap between the 3-point line and LeBron’s foot, official Tony Brothers decided that the video proof wasn’t conclusive enough.

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Another incident took place on 8th January in a game between the Pacers and the Celtics. With less than three seconds remaining on the clock, officials called a questionable foul on Jaylen Brown, which handed the Pacers the possession of the ball. Indiana capitalized on their good fortune and converted the two free-throws, and clinched a crucial victory over the Celtics. The discourse surrounding the level of officiating has only grown louder because of such terrible calls. It’s imperative that the NBA establishes a protocol to hold referees responsible for their subpar officiating performances.

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