New York Knicks fans weren’t happy to see Josh Hart called for flagrant 1 foul on a questionable play involving Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
The New York Knicks are fighting for survival on Wednesday night. They hosted the Miami Heat for Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, down 1-3 going into the second round of the series. So, a Knicks loss again would disqualify them, preventing them from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. New York had very little room for error on Wednesday. Unfortunately for them, they are hit with a questionable call.
In the first quarter, guard Josh Hart defended a three-point jumper by Heat star Jimmy Butler, and was called for a normal foul. But, the officials got together and decided to review whether or not Hart should be called out for the screaming session. Watching the video, Butler appears to kick his leg out and make contact with Hart.
However, the referees raised Hart’s foul to flagrant.
Knicks fans are outraged by Josh Hart’s blatant mistake
This put Hart in early trouble, as it was his third touchdown of the first quarter.
Let’s take a look at some of the reactions on social media, including from Knicks fans. Let’s just say, they weren’t happy with the call.
Regardless of the error, there was promise for the Knicks. On the brink of elimination, they entered the locker room with a 50-47 lead at the end of two quarters. With the win, the Knicks took the series back to Miami for Game 6 on Friday.
Management has been putting this year’s NBA playoffs under the proverbial microscope since it began. Now, those criticizing the calls have more fuel with this stark assessment of Hart.