Jalen Brunson took no satisfaction in the NBA acknowledging that referee Jacyn Goble flubbed the final call of Monday’s loss in Houston.
“They can keep it to themselves,” the Knicks point guard said after Wednesday’s 118-100 loss to the Magic.
There’s a small chance the Knicks can force a real retraction, and they’re trying with a formal protest filed to the league office.
Nevertheless, it’s very unlikely the appeal is successful since it was a human error and there’s only been one granted protest since 1982.
Jalen Brunson, who looks to attack the basket during the Knicks’ 118-100 loss to the Magic on Wednesday, to no solace in NBA saying it got a controversial foul call wrong.USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“You don’t like our chances?” Tom Thibodeau quipped.
Still, Thibodeau applauded the Knicks for filing a protest off Monday night’s loss to the Rockets, which ended because of a blown call on Brunson’s foul in the final seconds of a tie game.
It’s mostly about the message it sends after the consequential mistake.
“I respect what our organization is doing as well,” Thibodeau said. “I think it’s the right thing to do. Let the league decide.”
Donte DiVincenzo won’t be joining the Italian team for the Olympics after all.
A couple days after DiVincenzo expressed his desire to play for his heritage home in Paris this summer, a representative from the Italian Basketball Federation emailed The Post to say it’s too late.
“For the next Olympic Games there would not be the time to complete the procedures to provide him with an Italian passport,” Francesco D’Aniello wrote.
D’Aniello confirmed DiVincenzo “had a long conversation” years ago about joining the team, but nothing recently.
DiVincenzo, born in America with family members native to Italy, told The Post that he was in the process of securing the paperwork and hoping to compete in the Olympics.
“Ideally, I would love to,” DiVincenzo said. “Logistically and how everything plays out, I don’t know if it’s possible. But if everything works out perfectly, I would love to.”
Teams are allowed one naturalized player and Italy was intent on securing Orlando big man Paolo Banchero ahead of the World Cup last summer. Nevertheless, Banchero backed off a verbal commitment and played for Team USA.
