Tom Thibodeau stews over controversial Knicks call: ‘Big play’

HOUSTON — Tom Thibodeau felt his team was again screwed by a call in Houston.

This time, though, the play was less consequential. 

After his team struggled down the stretch of Monday’s 109-97 loss to the Rockets, the Knicks coach multiple times brought up a foul called on Josh Hart with 2:45 remaining and a three-point deficit. 

Hart was whistled for running into Rockets center Alperen Sengun to retrieve an offensive rebound. 

“I thought the big play was Josh’s foul. It looked like a clean steal to me. Sometimes, it goes your way; sometimes, it doesn’t,” Thibodeau said, adding in his next answer, “I thought Josh beat him to the ball. It just didn’t go our way, I guess.” 

The problem with harping on that call is that Thibodeau had a challenge that he didn’t use, and the Rockets committed a shot clock violation after the foul, meaning it really only took 14 seconds off the clock. 

Last season, the Knicks filed a formal protest after losing in Houston because of a phantom call on Jalen Brunson that led to the Rockets’ game-winning free throws in the final second. 

In the larger picture Monday, the Knicks took a lot of contact — especially Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — but didn’t feel they received the appropriate calls. 

They still won the free-throw battle, 21-18. 

“I mean at the end of the day refs are going to make mistakes,” Hart said. “We didn’t agree with a lot of the calls that they had. There was some that they missed, we let that dictate our energy level. We’ve got to give them credit, the coach [Houston’s Ime Udoka], he’s obviously been in winning situations. He always has a tough, physical, hard-playing team. That’s what they did.” 

The Knicks bench was depleted with two of their regular reserves — Precious Achiuwa and Cam Payne — in street clothes with hamstring strains. 

Payne was a new DNP and replaced in the rotation by rookie Tyler Kolek, who scored three points in six minutes during his first non-garbage time appearance of his pro career.

Thibodeau’s career suggests he isn’t keen on playing rookies but he had little choice given the injuries and was impressed by Kolek in practice. 

“I really like [Kolek] a lot,” the coach said. “I think he’s learning like most young guys coming into the league. He’s a gym rat. Works extremely hard. Puts a lot of time into film study. Extra work. Practice. He’s around really good veterans. That helps move it along in terms of how you learn. And then a big part of it is the trial and error of getting out there and doing it. So I think he’s putting everything he has into it. So we’ll see.” 

Thibodeau didn’t play Kolek in the second half, riding with Brunson at point guard for the full 24 minutes.