Jalen Brunson's Sister Calls Out Refs After Ugly Knicks Win

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ New York Knicks managed to escape with a dramatic 112-109 win against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, but the game seemed a bit messy.

During the fourth quarter, which was overshadowed by questionable officiating, controversial non-calls and a crazy ending, New York found a way to secure their second straight victory.

Jalen Brunson was the top scorer with 31 points and six assists, and OG Anunoby had a good impact with 23 points with a highly efficient 10-for-15 shooting.

Even though Joel Embiid had an outstanding performance with 38 points and Tyrese Maxey scored 22, the 76ers were unable to finish the game that they practically stole in the last ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌minutes.

Refs' Performance Draws Scorn From Brunson's Sister

Jan 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Following‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ the controversial finish, Erica Brunson, Jalen's sister and a regular social media commentator, was the first to criticize the officiating team of Kevin Cutler, Tony Brothers and John Conley.

"Not only should the refs be embarrassed for their performance… this was the longest 4th quarter ever," she tweeted.

Not only should the refs be embarrassed for their performance… this was the longest 4th quarter ever.
— Erica Brunson (@eribrunson) January 24, 2026

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ fourth quarter became a nightmare full of whistles, reviews and non-calls, and the final 12 minutes of the game felt like an eternity. Both teams looked frustrated as the action kept stopping. What should have been a clean finish turned into a mess of delays and confusion.

The Knicks tried several times to intentionally foul Embiid late in the game, but the referees appeared reluctant to call fouls.

Joel Embiid believes he was fouled in the final seconds of today's game pic.twitter.com/ONewzl2Muj
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 24, 2026

Tyrese Maxey even threw up an airball three-pointer from a long way back off halfcourt, obviously thinking that there would be a foul, which did not ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌happen.

Various‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ challenges from the coach broke the momentum as both teams managed to challenge the calls, win their challenges, and keep their timeouts.

Only on the 33.3-second moment, the referee stopped the game due to the Knicks' challenge that resulted in a foul call being overturned, then the substitution situation got messy as players got on and off the court repeatedly within ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌seconds.

Brunson Family Connection to Philadelphia Runs Deep

Beyond her officiating complaints, Erica also tweeted: "There's something about Philly being a home game for me but also Knicks fans lol. Warms my heart."

There’s something about Philly being a home game for me but also Knicks fans lol. Warms my heart 🫶🏽
— Erica Brunson (@eribrunson) January 24, 2026

The words reflected the New York Knicks' sizable presence at the Wells Fargo Center, where the crowd was chanting "Let's go Knicks!" after the Knicks' clutch performance. The scene looked more like a home game than a road trip, with New York fans drowning out the local crowd.

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