The New York Knicks edged out the Dallas Mavericks in a nail-biting 113-111 overtime thriller on Wednesday night, with the outcome turning on a controversial offensive foul call in the final seconds. The decision, which drew sharp criticism from fans and analysts, became a focal point of the game’s aftermath.
Mavericks point guard Brandon Williams received the ball at halfcourt with about three seconds left in the game. He was driving toward the basket with Knicks guard Landry Shamet on his hip. He was able to get around Shamet and made what the crowd thought was the game-tying basket plus the foul.
However, the foul that was called was on Williams. The NBA official said Williams hooked his arm around the Knicks defender as he was going up for the basket. A replay of the moment did show Williams’ left arm around the waist of Shamet.
Regardless, NBA fans debated whether it was the correct call.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was asked what he saw on the final play.
“Great execution. Great catch. Great pass by (Dereck Lively II),” Kidd said. “Great execution. Tough call. He got a good look. They called a foul.”
Knicks star Jalen Brunson returned to the floor and scored 28 points against his former team. He missed the last two games with an ankle sprain.
“Chaos,” Brunson said. “At the same time, found a way to win. It was ugly. When you win ugly, it’s a sign of a team learning, getting better. No matter what the situation is, we’ve got to find a way to win.”
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart each scored 16 points. New York improved to 9-5 with the win.
Mavericks forward Naji Marshall led the team with 23 points off the bench. Max Christie added 15, and Klay Thompson scored 13.
Dallas fell to 4-12 with the loss.