Another down-to-the-wire Knicks playoff game, another referee controversy.
And it didn’t take long for the refs to admit to it.
During the final minute of the Knicks’ 121-117 Game 1 win over the Pacers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden, New York benefited from a blown kicked-ball-violation call.
With the game tied 115-115 with 52 seconds left, Knicks star Jalen Brunson attempted to make a pass out of a trap.
His pass hit Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith, who was subsequently whistled for a kicked ball violation.
But replays clearly showed Brunson’s pass hit Nesmith’s arm, not his foot.
“On the floor we felt that would be a kicked ball violation,” crew chief Zach Zabra told the pool reporter after the game. “Post game review did show that it hit the defender’s hand, which would be legal.”
The extra possession set up Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 40.1 seconds left, giving the Knicks a 118-115 lead.
The Knicks led the rest of the way.
Although the mistake was clear on replay, kicked-ball violations cannot be challenged.
“A kicked ball violation is not reviewable and not subject to the coach’s challenge,” Zabra said. “The three things that teams can challenge are fouls, goaltends and out of bounds.”
It wasn’t the only controversial late call.
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With the Knicks leading 118-117, Pacers center Myles Turner was called for an illegal screen, on DiVincenzo, with 12.1 seconds left.
It appeared to be marginal on replay.
The Pacers challenged that call, but it was confirmed after review.
“I don’t want to talk about the officiating,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “We’re not expecting to get calls in here. It would be nice if they laid off [the illegal screen], but that’s just the way it goes. We challenged it, they reviewed it. They’ve got a bunch of people in New Jersey that agreed with it, that’s just the way it goes.
“We gotta learn from that, too. That’s a timing play, both guys are involved. We’ll have to execute that better next time,”