Monty Williams: 'Worst Call of the Season' Leads to Knicks' Victory over Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have enough issues facing a standard five opponents. Head coach Monty Williams believes that the team had to deal with three during a 113-111 loss on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Williams, the head coach of the woebegone Pistons, placed blame for the team's latest firmly on a call ... or lack thereof ... toward the end of Monday's tilt against the New York Knicks.
"Where's the New York media now? The absolute worst call of the season, no call," a livid Williams said in the postgame aftermath, per Bally Sports Detroit. "Enough's enough. We've done it the right way, we've called the league, we've sent in clips, we're sick of hearing the same stuff over and over again."
Brad Penner, USA TODAY SPORTS
Williams' Pistons (8-49) seemed destined for a rare victory, having taken a slim 111-110 lead on the Knicks with just over a half-minute remaining, ironically thanks to a driving double from former New Yorker Quentin Grimes. With the shot clock turned off after a misfired Jalen Brunson three-pointer, Detroit had a chance to grab the rebound and inch closer toward an elusive win.
Instead, the rebound obtained by Grimes exchanged hands twice, eventually landing in the grasp of Detroit's Ausar Thompson via an errant pass from the hands of Donte DiVincenzo. In an effort to make up for his error, DiVincenzo dove for the ball and knocked down Thompson, whose subsequent loose ball landed into the arms of Jalen Brunson. The turnover became Brunson's 12th and final assist of the night, as he found a wide-open Josh Hart under the basket en route to an and-one tally that gave the Knicks the lead with just over two seconds remaining.
"We had a chance to win the game, and the guy dove into Ausar's legs and there was a no call," Williams, who spent the first two seasons of a nine-year playing career with the Knicks, said. "That’s an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game. Period."
"You cannot dive into a guy's legs in a big-time game like that and there be a no call. It’s ridiculous and we’re tired of it. We just want a fair game called. Period, and I got nothing else to say. We want a fair game and that was not fair. I'm done."
Hart wound up missing the subsequent free throw but got his own rebound to set up another opportunity at the foul line. Hitting one of two more created the final margin and allowed the Knicks (35-23) to escape from New York with a narrow victory over the lowly Pistons.
It's likely of little consolation to Williams, but Monday's crew chief James Williams (no relation) declared that a loose ball foul should've been called against DiVincenzo, per a pool report obtained by Christian Arnold of the New York Post. Such a call would've given Detroit possession with the shot clock off (it would've been the Knicks' first foul within the last two minutes) and a chance to expand its lead. Instead, the Pistons never got the ball as they were doomed to their sixth consecutive loss.
The Pistons will return to MSG on March 25.
