Courtney Lee is crying foul after the New York Knicks’ loss to the Washington Wizards, but not for anything the Wizards players did on the court.
The Knicks needed a 3-pointer to tie the score on their final possession Thursday night, and Lee appeared to have a chance when Carmelo Anthony found him open in the corner. But rather than take the shot, Lee pump-faked and drove before passing the ball back out. It wasn’t a smart play, as New York didn’t even get up a shot and took a 113-110 loss.
Here's the play Courtney Lee is referencing. Can clearly see the coach almost on the three point line yelling in his ear pic.twitter.com/K69ELycCWY
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) January 20, 2017
But after the game, Lee made an interesting claim: that Wizards assistant coach Sidney Lowe distracted him by tricking the Knicks guard into thinking he was a player.
“I thought it was one of their players because I was getting ready to shoot and in my peripheral you see a body right there and he is saying, ‘I’m right here! I’m right here! I got your stunt!'” Lee said, via ESPN.com. “Usually in basketball terminology, that is a switch or I am going to jump out, so I shot-faked and drove. I still should have shot the shot.”
A closer look shows Lowe was, in fact, standing on the court just steps away from Lee.
closeup of Wizards asst Sidney Lowe on the floor in the final seconds of the game. Moves his arms and yells at Lee to act like a defender pic.twitter.com/UjtZfJMi4i
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) January 20, 2017
Lee, one of the NBA’s better 3-point shooters, said he “definitely” had space to get a shot off and probably would’ve taken it if he didn’t hear Lowe.
“I think it’s something they (the NBA) need to take a look at,” Lee added. “… Being a basketball player, you play off of instincts, and if you hear somebody right there, that’s why I try to make the right play. But I still should have shot it.”
Thumbnail photo via Adam Hunger/USA TODAY Sports Images
