NBA Announces Mistake Involving Josh Hart in Knicks' Loss to Hawks

The New York Knicks dropped to 2-1 in their NBA playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, with CJ McCollum leading the way for Atlanta's 109-108 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night.

McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to give Atlanta the one-point lead. While the Knicks still had one final chance to win, a bad pass from Jalen Brunson led to a Jonathan Kuminga steal that sealed the Hawks' victory.

Jalen Johnson led the Hawks in scoring with 24 points, along with 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals. McCollum, for his part, tallied 23 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

OG Anunoby scored 29 points for the Knicks, while Jalen Brunson had 26. Unfortunately, the Knicks simply couldn't close the game.

While it's a frustrating turn for the Knicks, they have no one to blame but themselves for the loss. They trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half, so they had to play catch-up for the most of the game.

Furthermore, the Knicks benefited from an incorrect non-call in the final two minutes of the contest. When Johnson attacked the basket at the two-minute mark, Josh Hart moved into his path, causing him to fall after they collided.

Johnson was still able to make his shot and score, extending the Hawks' lead to 105-102.

However, the NBA L2M Report noted that Hart should have been called for a shooting foul on Johnson for his defensive play. Had a foul been called, Johnson would have gotten an extra free throw for a chance to extend the Hawks' lead to four.

"Hart (NYK) moves laterally into Johnson's (ATL) path and does not establish a legal guarding position in Johnson's path prior to the contact," the NBA L2M Report explained.

It would have certainly been disastrous for the Hawks had they lost, especially when considering how close the game was.

The officiating mistake has to be disappointing for Atlanta, though. After all, in Game 2 of their series, the referees also had two missed calls that benefited the Knicks.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 6:34 PM.