Monty Williams was fuming after the referees controversially held their whistle late, which ultimately decided his Detroit Pistons’ 113-111 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night.
The former 2022 NBA Coach of the Year wasted no time coming after the officiating crew in his post-game press conference.
He blasted the refs for their poor discretion after they didn’t nab Donte DiVincenzo for a foul on rookie Ausar Thompson in the game’s final moments.
Usually mild-mannered, Williams was just the opposite in front of the media. The irate 52-year-old got started on his rant before fielding questions and finished off his tirade with a bold demand.
What made Monty Williams fume after the game?
The Pistons had a 111-110 lead over the Knicks with under 10 seconds to play in regulation.
Thompson made a huge defensive play and stole a pass from DiVincenzo. The latter then blatantly collided with Thompson in transition and wasn’t called for a foul.
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The Knicks regained possession and ice the game at the foul line. Williams couldn’t believe his eyes and could be seen railing on the refs immediately after the final whistle.
At the podium after the game, the 19-year veteran coach started by labeling the no-call “the absolute worst call of the season.” He went on to say this in a fiery rant, per ESPN:
“We had a chance to win the game, and the guy dove into Ausar’s legs, and there was a no-call. That’s an abomination. You cannot miss that in an NBA game. Period. And I’m tired of talking about it,” Williams exclaimed before making a call for action. “That situation is exhibit A of what we’ve been dealing with all season long, and enough’s enough.”
Clearly, Williams’s boil-over was set off by the botched no-call but built up by other previous blunders. The league’s referees have been under fire throughout the season for bad decision-making.
The crew that called last night’s matchup admitted the error after the fact.
