Tom Thibodeau stews over controversial Knicks call: Big play

HOUSTON — Tom Thibodeau felt his team was again screwed by a call in Houston.This time, though, the play was less consequential. After his team struggled down the stretch of Monday’s 109-97 loss to the Rockets, the Knicks coach multiple times brought up a foul called on Josh Hart with 2:45 remaining and a three-point deficit. Hart was whistled for running into Rockets center Alperen Sengun to retrieve an offensive rebound. “I thought the big play was Josh’s foul.

It looked like a clean steal to me.Sometimes, it goes your way; sometimes, it doesn’t,” Thibodeau said, adding in his next answer, “I thought Josh beat him to the ball.

It just didn’t go our way, I guess.” The problem with harping on that call is that Thibodeau had a challenge that he didn’t use, and the Rockets committed a shot clock violation after the foul, meaning it really only took 14 seconds off the clock. Last season, the Knicks filed a formal protest after losing in Houston because of a phantom call on Jalen Brunson that led to the Rockets’ game-winning free throws in the final second. In the larger picture Monday, the Knicks took a lot of contact — especially Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — but didn’t feel they received the appropriate calls. They still won the free-throw battle, 21-18.  Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! “I mean at the end of the day refs are going to make mistakes,” Hart said.

“We didn’t agree with a lot of the calls that they had.There was some that they missed, we let that dictate our energy level.

We’ve got to give them credit, the coach [Houston’s Ime Udoka], he’s obviously been in winning situations.He always has a tough, physical, hard-playing team.

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