Image Source: NBA Sports
[Saba Sports News] The NBA’s recent decision on the New York Knicks’ formal protest showcases a complex rationale. The protest was in response to a contentious call during the final moments of their February 12 game against the Houston Rockets, where Jalen Brunson was controversially penalized, leading to the Rockets’ victory-sealing free throws.
The NBA acknowledged that the game officials had made a “judgment error” but stated that overturning a game’s result requires proving a “misapplication of the playing rules,” not just an officiating error. This distinction led to the denial of the Knicks’ protest, as their argument didn’t satisfy this stringent standard.
This decision seems to reflect the league’s reluctance to set a precedent where subjective officiating calls become grounds for successful protests, potentially leading to numerous future challenges. Despite the acknowledgment of the mistake, the NBA’s criteria for protests appear to leave little room for overturning decisions based on judgment calls, even in instances where the error is openly recognized post-game.
Ironically, the Knicks later experienced the flip side of referee mistakes, benefiting from a similar officiating controversy in another game, hinting at an eventual balance in what some might see as the universe’s way of dispensing poetic justice.