A controversial call went against the Indiana Pacers late in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the New York Knicks. With the game timed at 115 with less than a minute remaining, Jalen Brunson attempted to throw a pass that Aaron Nesmith broke up. But instead of the Pacers forcing a turnover and getting a fast break opportunity, the referees called a kicked ball on the floor. You can be the judge of this one:
Refs called this a kicked ball… #INDvsNYK pic.twitter.com/lmlYF642xk
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) May 7, 2024
I don’t know about you, but I sure did not think that this hit off of Nesmith’s foot — it was either his arm or it bounced of his, like, knee. This is not a reviewable play, so the call on the floor had to stand, and New York would go on to win, 121-117.
After the game, crew chief Zach Zarba spoke to pool reporter Fred Katz and admitted that the call was incorrect.
“On the floor we felt that would be a kicked ball violation,” Zarba said. “Post game review did show that it hit the defender’s hand, which would be legal.”
Zarba went on to confirm that this is not reviewable, telling Katz that “the three things that teams can challenge are fouls, goaltends and out of bounds.” It’s unclear why a kicked ball would not be on the list here.