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0 On Monday night, February 13th, 2024, the Houston Rockets secured a thrilling 105-103 victory over the New York Knicks in their NBA game. The Rockets, who had lost their previous four games, were led by Aaron Holiday, who scored 18 points, including two crucial free throws that sealed the win for his team. The game was not without controversy, as a disputed foul call by Jalen Brunson behind the 3-point line led to the Rockets’ winning free throws.
The Knicks had a chance to force overtime after Brunson scored four consecutive points, including a jump shot with just 8.1 seconds left to tie the game at 103. However, Precious Achiuwa blocked Jalen Green’s shot, and Holiday grabbed possession beyond the arc before shooting the ball as Brunson rushed out at him and was called for a foul.
After the game, crew chief Ed Malloy admitted that the referees made a wrong call when they initially believed “the lower body contact was illegal contact.” However, their opinion changed following a replay review, and the contact that occurred after the release of the ball was deemed incidental and marginal to the shot attempt, and the foul should not have been called.
Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 23 points, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 and Alperen Sengun had 18 to help their team secure the win. The Rockets played without Fred VanVleet, who missed his fourth straight game with a strained left adductor, and rookie Cam Whitmore, out for a second game with a sprained right ankle.
On the other hand, Brunson had an impressive game, scoring 27 points, while Donte DiVincenzo contributed 23 points as the Knicks lost their third straight game. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau expressed his disappointment at losing the game, saying, “Tough way to lose a game.” However, he praised the officiating, saying it was “great.” When asked directly if he believed Brunson fouled Holiday, he avoided the question by saying, “You look at it.”
The Rockets led by 14 points at halftime before the Knicks opened the second half with a 16-4 run that brought them within two points. However, the Rockets responded with an 11-5 run, powered by Aaron Holiday, to take a nine-point lead with about nine minutes to go. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging leads, before the Rockets held on for the win.
Holiday, who was happy to secure the win, said, “This was huge. We lost the last two I feel like we could have won and just didn’t get it done down the stretch. So I’m glad we were able to pull this one out.” Houston coach Ime Udoka also praised his team’s performance, saying, “It was good to see us close it out in the fourth in a back-and-forth game.”
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