Fans won't have to wait for the NBA's Last Two Minute Report to know the officials erred in the final moments of the New York Knicks' 113-111 win over the Detroit Pistons.
James Williams, who was the crew chief for the game, said in the aftermath that Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo should've been whistled for a foul on Pistons forward Ausar Thompson.
"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," he said, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "Therefore, a loose ball foul should have been whistled on New York's Donte DiVincenzo."
Knicks star Jalen Brunson was instead credited with a steal and the turnover helped set up Josh Hart's go-ahead bucket with 2.8 seconds left.
For Pistons head coach Monty Williams, the missed foul was the final straw. In his postgame interview, he called it the "absolute worst call of the season" and an "abomination," and he asserted his team has consistently been on the wrong end of bad officiating.
Just this past Saturday, some Detroit fans thought Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero got away with a travel on his game-winner with 0.1 seconds on the clock. The league said in its Last Two Minute Report the call on the floor was correct.
The Pistons have the NBA's worst record (8-49) and they're out of the playoff race at this point. It's not as though Monday's missed call changes the arc of their season.
But Williams' frustration is understandable when his team has already suffered so many defeats and is riding a five-game losing streak that was seconds away from ending.
