Watch: Knicks lose on controversial foul with less than a second remaining
An excellent Knicks-Rockets game on Monday night was undone by a controversial foul call on Knicks guard Jalen Brunson with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Rockets guard Aaron Holiday attempted a one-armed heave beyond the arc with the game tied at 103. After he released the ball, Brunson made minimal contact on Holiday's way down, prompting the referees to put their stamp on the game with the unnecessary whistle.
The Rockets won 105-103.
The call marred an otherwise outstanding effort from Bunson. Moments earlier, he tied the game with a stepback jumper over Rockets small forward Dillon Brooks.
The Knicks' sixth-year guard finished with 27 points, his 14th consecutive game with at least 20 points, but Monday's game will be remembered for its controversial ending above all else.
That isn't just unfortunate for Brunson. It also is a disservice to the Rockets, which played well enough that they would have had a chance of winning in overtime.
Houston was effective in attacking the paint, finishing 24-of-33 on shot attempts 0-4 feet from the rim. The Rockets were also active defensively, pestering the Knicks into 17 turnovers.
Rookie Amen Thompson was a key contributor, finishing with a season-high five steals. Brooks also made six of his seven three-point attempts.
The loss is the third in a row for the Knicks (33-21, fourth in Eastern Conference). The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Rockets (24-29, 12th in Western Conference), which sits 2.5 games behind the Warriors for 10th in the conference.
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