Knicks protest loss – After Brunson’s controversial foul, New York could join an exclusive club،
As the New York Knicks battle for the top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Monday's 105-103 loss to the Houston Rockets could prove costly.
What stings even more: According to officials, this result should never have happened.
The NBA's Last Two Minutes Report and game crew chief Ed Malloy acknowledged that Knicks guard Jalen Brunson was wrongly called for a foul against Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, in the last second.
On Tuesday, the Knicks filed a complaint with the NBA disputing the loss, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
History, however, is not on New York's side when it comes to successful game protests. This has only happened six times in NBA history, and only once in the last 41 years, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information.
Shaquille O'Neal was wrongly ruled to have committed six fouls when he only had five. The match resumed on March 8, 2008, but no one scored in the 51.9 seconds replayed after overtime.
The Hawks won 114-111 and O'Neal didn't play – he was traded to the Suns before the game resumed.
A double lane violation was called after Norm Nixon failed to release the ball on a free throw attempt, resulting in a jump ball. It should have been a no-call and Nixon should have attempted the free throw.
The Lakers won the jump ball, tied the game and won in double overtime.
Play resumed on April 13, 1983, with the Spurs leading 116-114 with three seconds left and Nixon attempting the free throw. San Antonio won the game by three points.
Referee Richie Powers gave Nets head coach Kevin Loughery three technical fouls, exceeding the limit of two.
The final 5:50 p.m. of the match – which also featured Bernard King, Phil Jackson and Julius Erving – was replayed on March 23, 1979.
Here's the fun part: These teams actually did a swap between the original game and the replay. Because of this, Eric Money, Harvey Catchings and Ralph Simpson ended up playing for both Nets. And 76ers – the only players in NBA history to step on the court for both teams in the same game, according to research from ESPN Stats & Information.
The final four seconds of this game were replayed on February 1, 1972, after the Cavaliers successfully protested that they had not had the full benefit of a timeout.
The outcome of the game remained the same, with the Braves winning by one run.
November 6, 1969: Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls
Known as the Phantom Buzzer Game, a buzzer call was not counted after officials disagreed whether the buzzer sounded before the basket.
The game resumed with one second left and the game was tied at 124. The Hawks went on to win by five points in overtime.
November 28, 1952: Milwaukee Hawks vs. Philadelphia Warriors
The Hawks had only four eligible players left due to disqualifications, but were incorrectly allowed to sign a fifth player. They won the game 78-77 in double overtime.
The protest culminated in a full replay of the game on March 11, 1953 in Pittsburgh. The Warriors won 72-69… in overtime.
