The New York Knicks didn't have enough to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they lost 103-100. In close games like that, there are sometimes one or two things that changed the trajectory of the game, and for the Knicks, they believe it was the referees who had a lot to do with the outcome.

After the game, head coach Mike Brown spoke about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his ability to manipulate to the referees into thinking he's being fouled.

“SGA, he’s a tough cover,” Brown said. “He does a great job of convincing the referees, probably better than anybody in the league, that he’s getting hit.”

That has always been the one thing that people seem to critique Gilgeous-Alexander on about his game and how he gets to the free-throw line. Against the Knicks, he only took seven free throw attempts, as that number has been higher at times.

Jalen Brunson then took it further when talking about the refs, but he had physical proof of a foul that maybe should have been called. Brunson had a black eye, and a reporter asked him about it after the game.

“Probably a no-call,” Brunson said.

Article Continues Below

There may be a chance that Brown could be receiving a letter in his mailbox, but Brunson might be safe. Either way, it's obvious that they both were not fans of how the game was being officiated against them.

The Thunder as a whole seems to get under a lot of people's skin with how they play, especially on defense, and it's been hard to stop them. When teams try to mimic what they do, it's usually a foul, which has been frustrating for some throughout the season.

The Knicks didn't let it bother them much during the game, and they were still able to give themselves a chance in the end.