ESPN analyst Jay Williams went off on the referees for a series of questionable calls in Game 1 between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Pacers trailed by just one point. During an offensive possession, Pacers center Myles Turner was called for a foul while trying to set a screen on Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo. The Pacers challenged the play, but the challenge was unsuccessful.
The call was made with just 12 seconds left. After shooting free throws, the Knicks won 121-117.
Williams couldn’t believe the call.
“Indiana got robbed,” Williams said on Get Up. “We got robbed of one of the best moments and one of the most exciting games that we’ve seen throughout the playoffs last night. That’s the reality. I mean, that screen happens so many times throughout the course of the game.”
Williams also accused the refs of being inconsistent due to the fact that on a previous Knicks possession, DiVincenzo could have also been called for an illegal screen. Seconds later, a kick-ball violation was called on the Pacers when the ball was tipped and stolen.
Replays showed that the ball actually hit the hand of Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith. Kick-ball calls aren’t able to be challenged, meaning an opportunity to score in transition was taken from the Pacers.
“As [Tim Legler] brought up in hour one, the screen literally the prior possession before that, DiVincenzo has both arms up and is moving, and they didn’t call that a moving screen; but they called Myles Turner at that critical possession of the game a moving screen. It makes no sense. I think it was an embarrassment for the league.”
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