Karl-Anthony Towns uses every bit of homecourt advantage to secure the greatest Finals comeback ever, telling courtside fans to get closer to Dylan Harper on the inbounds out of view of the refs
So what if Harper pulled a Jason Kidd and just swung his arm or moved his body enough that it made contact with someone?
He’d instantly become the premier sports villain in NYC but that’s a tech, so they’d shoot shots and get the ball. I think that’s a fair sacrifice for a finals win.
He should have tbh. Gamesmanship goes both ways.
And that’s where experience comes in. A vet would make that move. A rookie, even one as good as Harper is, probably didn’t realize he should do that.
Game just moves fast… part of being a vet is that you’ve seen this type of stuff before, and say “If that happens to me” or “if that happens again”, then this is what I would do. That’s what slows the game down in a sense.
It also doesn’t look like Harper saw KAT motioning to the fans because he was talking with the ref. Not sure why the ref didn’t catch it since he intentionally motioned Harper away from the fans, only for them to be just as close to Harper when he handed him the ball.
Chris Paul maybe a villain but this is why you appreciate vets that knows the small nuances of the games. Jersey untucked? Lets see what I can get away with.
The funny thing is, the team CP3 called jersey untucked on was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their star player on the court that game?
Karl Anthony Towns
I love sports and tid bits like this are my favorite! The little threads that bring it all together
this is why you appreciate vets that knows the small nuances of the games.
Yeah, like a 9-year veteran getting a steal with 10 seconds left and a 1-point lead. He’ll definitely know that he needs to hold the ball, evade until he takes the foul, and make his free throws.
9-year veteran with the Kings though thats like a negative
Sometimes your 14 year veteran gets the rebound in a tied game with one possession left and then dribbles out the clock rather than attempt a shot.
That muscle memory shit boxers develop after years of training. They know every punch you can possibly throw depending on the position of your body, and how to block it and counteract it. Without even actively thinking about it.
Floyd vs Canelo. You’re faster and stronger than me. But I see everything you’re trying to do the moment you consider it. You’re moving in slow motion to me.
Chris Paul would’ve put up a masterclass in this spot
Chris Paul would never even get to this position deep in the playoffs
Well tbf he did get this deep into the playoffs with the Suns
The fact that this is upvoted says everything about this sub lmao
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He literally played in six finals games.
The Spurs in general are inexperienced. Compare the pressure KAT put on the inbound vs the Spurs letting the ball go to Brunson for his shot that OG tipped in completely uncontested. They just don’t know what to do yet.
100% but also these are the situations that create those vets. Can be damn sure Harper isn’t gonna let this happen again
Exactly. A vet knows when to hold onto the ball when leading, and a rookie would try and score.
A vet wouldn’t have taken the ball until they moved the people behind him out of the way so he could take a step back and not have KAT do close.
Yup Harper never once even made a face about the situation..no heads up
Chris Paul just came in his pants a little
Exactly. That would have been peak.
There’s a 100% chance Chris Paul would have done that.
I was always of the opinion the spurs should’ve taken cp3 back after he was exiled from the clippers
They could have subbed CP in when they were up 30. Even if Knicks score a 3 over him every possession, he’d use up every 24 second shot clock they had left and would still win.
….huge 3 by Chris Paul
But in all seriousness, he would definitely helped them salvage a win or at least help Mitch get that shit under control.
Same…..same. We had the money. I don’t get it.
Iirc the whole reason he went to the Clips in the first place was cause it was close to home, feel like he would’ve stayed otherwise
Chris Paul is this kid who has prepared EVERYTHING for the test but can never get top grades
The dude has one of the best basketball IQs ever. He’d be valedictorian reminding the teacher she forgot to give homework.
He got his ass disqualified from an all star event
When I see this, I have to remind people that it was Wembys idea to do it that way btw
We gotta get Wemby and CP3 on Taskmaster.
Think it’s more he got top grades, he just didn’t get into Harvard
because of a strained hamstring
Slightly off topic but you reminded me of one of the funniest Onion stores ever.
https://theonion.com/shaq-misses-entire-second-half-with-pulled-pork-sandwic-1819571266/
And tbh it would have been the smart move. Very heady play. Idk what the call would be but it would 100% still be spurs ball and those fans would be forced to move.
Everyone who knows the rules should’ve done that. If KAT can fuck with you, you can fuck with them
They would have whistled the play dead and restarted without calling a technical foul. Not saying that’s the rule, because I don’t know, but I do know refs generally don’t like to get murdered.
At least his next throw he would have had appropriate room then. But he really should have just complained to the ref that he doesn’t have his three feet let alone one foot
Yeah that’s I don’t get – why he didn’t complain about not having any space before the ref gave him the ball.
He’s a rookie caught up in the moment. The thought probably never crossed his mind.
Yeah, they’ve already messed up once in this series when Harper intentionally subbed himself in during a live ball to stop the play. It should’ve been a tech but the refs messed up and knew it so they just let it go. Can’t imagine this wouldn’t just be the same thing and the ref would just say “I should’ve made the fans move back on the first attempt” or whatever.
I think its up to the refs discretion if a fan interfered with the inbounds pass and that the inbounds pass was going to a teammate. If they deem that a fan interfered and it was going to a teammate then its a delay of game technical foul.
The refs would never call a tech in that situation to decide a finals game unless the fan actively tried to interfere with the ball or player directly
They would simply get a do-over and the fans would be pushed aside to give more space
Yeah but harper still should have done it for the extra space he’d get
Yeah but then the Knicks also would have gotten a look at the exact play the Spurs wanted with Vassell clesring through the Castle - Wemby gap and then having Wemby screen Hart for the open alley oop
A tech is on a player or coach
Techs can be called on people other than the player or coach.
That’s why they should’ve gotten CP3 when the Clips let him go. They need veteran leadership so bad.
It wouldn’t have been a tech but a do-over from the inbounds with an emphasis on giving him space
There is no way in hell the refs would call fan interference in a 1point game unless the fan actively seeks contact
Having a do over gives the Knicks an advantage in having a preview of what play they’re running. Castle got Hart beat. He’d be aware of it the second time around.
If he did that then the refs would blow the whistle check the replay and ask the fans to sit down since harper is the one who intiated the contact and make him inbound the ball again.
So what you’re saying is that if I’m an away team fan sitting courtside, I should purposefully make contact with my team’s inbounder so that my team receives free throws?
It’ll work once, and then you’ll likely be kicked out of the stadium and be banned from all NBA games after that, so guess you gotta weigh the pros and cons.
Love how they immediately listen and move over lmao
Gotta help the team when you can. Prolly a story you can tell with your kids.
You mean a story they can tell their nannies to tell their kids.
Their country club buddies will be hearing this story for years.
The coolest execs on the board.
A truer statement has never been told. When I was in college I worked on a psych ward for the ultra rich. Many of the kids of wealthy executives were essentially strangers to their own parents. Some had mental breakdowns after their nanny (their only true parent figure) quit or was fired.
In my experience those “raised” by the wealthy are the most mentally ill. They have everything, except the building blocks for healthy relationships and a sense of purpose. They could literally do nothing beyond hedonistic pursuits and they would always have nice things and face minimal consequences. If that’s your reality, what is the point of anything?
I think that’s a sampling thing from your exposure being a psych ward lol.
Most people I know have a close relationship with their mothers and a sort of needy-relationship with their fathers in the sense that time spent with them was at a premium.
I also don’t know that many who really go crazy with their spending. Other than stuff like travel and being able to spend on their hobbies (like jewelry, porcelain, mahjong, keyboards, etc.) the vast majority don’t really spend much more than a high-income non-wealthy person.
And I think that is kind of the problem in terms of wealth not really being redistributed back into the economy.
We need more hedonistic rich people, but the fact is that at some point there isn’t much more you can really spend money on.
A hotel heiress I know has hundreds of thousands of dollars in teacups but there’s only so much money you can spend on teacups. She drove a Camry for years and recently got an RX after she gave the Camry to her son when he went off to uni. She has no desire for a yacht because she thinks yachts are stupid. She has no desire for a private jet because she can just fly first class with a private terminal and 90% of her flights are LAX to Taiwan, Japan, or China.
IMO, I think this is why a wealth tax makes sense. The vast majority of people have too much money and not enough things that they care enough to spend the money on. Even if they are really into food, they can eat a Michelin star restaurants every day, book Melisse for a private event once a month, and it still wouldn’t be enough to put money back into the ecosystem.
Also, regarding the sense of purpose thing, I think a lot of them just focus on academics and career lol.
That’s why I kind of appreciate the huge spending we see from non-wealthy high earners like surgeons, tech bros, etc. I really think the world would be a healthier place if people either spent or were taxed their wealth above a certain a level.
>In my experience those “raised” by the wealthy are the most mentally ill
>When I was in college I worked on a psych ward for the ultra rich.
Gotta support the team…. *blank stare*
High five. *raises hand*
I’d put 6th man of the year trophy on my shelf
As a Knicks fan, this would be an honor of a lifetime
Those 2 fans can tell their next generation that they helped the Knicks win a finals game and they wouldn’t even be exaggerating. This is how homecourt should be.
Home court advantage should be physically obstructing the other team mid-game and throwing things at them on the way to their hotel?
Def Jam - fight for NY
Criminal they haven’t made a modern version of this game
if i owned an NBA team, our court would have sawblades coming out the floor controlled by a kid in the stands, and concrete staircases with uneven levels so that attacking armies would be disadvantaged during a castle siege
First one yes, second one no
Absolutely. Stalagmites falling from the ceiling mid game.
If I ever find myself courtside and JDub tells me to move my feet to crowd out the opposition you better believe I’m hopping right to it.
What if Lou dort tells you to trip a player
SGA tells you to fall down
Sniper shot me
Larry David was a sleepercell for the Knicks all along with that Shaq extension
I mean, we all watched Spider-Man 2
You listen to Big Kat. Big Kat don’t play.
Home court advantage
Smart of KAT to do it and batshit crazy that it was allowed. You can’t be mad at him for making what is practically a heads up play
Downside of such a young team tbh. If there was a vet leader who was playable on the floor, you’d be damn sure he’d make the refs back those people up.
Chris Paul would have none of it 🤣
The Spurs really should’ve kept CP3
Bring him back as a coach
Couldn’t be worse than Mitch
Mitch took the youngest team in the league to the finals in his first full season as a head coach. Hate all you want, but Mitch has exceeded all expectations.
He’d have made contact with the fan then convince the ref that somehow KAT was responsible for it and get a tech.
I legit think the Spurs would be up in the finals rn if they had CP3 on the roster.
I legit think this would be a sweep if the Knicks had Ewing on the roster.
Not with The Admiral on the Spurs
But if Jordan was on the Knicks right now this series would be all wrapped up.
Yeah but if the spurs had Tim Duncan and Lebron and Larry Bird, it would be close.
Damn, I didn’t think about that.
Jordan Clarkson erasure
yeah cuz signing an active free agent who already was a big part of your teams development is the same as signing a pensioneer.
I mean unless you are rooting for the spurs or against the Knicks (mutually exclusive) can you really blame him 😭
This is so damn sly and genius. All the props should go to KAT
Ref is to blame lol
Diabolical.
To be fair, they did wait until Castle had the ball to start the clock.
Also, players are allowed to ask for more space.
This was a ball IQ issue.
Everything about that collapse was an IQ issue, young team making bad mistakes
They didn’t know they couldn’t make those mistakes.
This run has made me like him. Smart player, good leader and team first
It’s technically not allowed. The inbounder is usually given about 3 feet of space but neither Harper or the refs thought about it. Although at worst they’d just be told to move back. Still though the play was for a lot and KAT was able to tip it.
DON’T HATE THE PLAYER, HATE THE GAME
Top tier shithousery
Would be pretty nice if the ref did his job and told the fans to back off
Yea seems like a no brainer to have a space requirement around the inbounding passer.
There are protocols to ensure this doesn’t happen. They are supposed to never touch the hardwood, they aren’t supposed to be standing with drinks, and they are supposed to be sitting when the ball goes live.
Kind of why I’m surprised the Spurs org hasn’t done anything publicly
You figure they’d do a shoot your shot type complaint and at least hope that they could build some public pressure
You know, if it’s gotten to a point where you have to tell the league you werent given the proper space to inbound, you probably messed up pretty big way beforehand.
Nah, it isn’t really about blaming the loss on any one thing but making the refs and league pay attention to it
It’s like when coaches complain about reffing. The vast majority of the time it’s not the reason they loss and they know that, but trying to get refs and the league more conscious of it and sway them
There are. It’s 4 feet. If the ref won’t do his job, you go full high-elbows Charles Barkley. See who’s willing to take one for the team.
Edit: went to the rule book. It’s really lax regarding penalties. The player is supposed to have freedom of movement to step back, move their arms and inbound the ball. But impeding the out-of-bounds player (by the crowd) doesn’t draw a T. At worst, it’s a do-over. I suppose the refs could solve it by letting the Spurs get another crack at it until the crowd gives him more space or the Spurs score.
Yea Harper shouldn’t have just silently accepted what was happening. His head coach should’ve stepped up obviously. But damn. Like other comments are saying a savvy veteran isn’t allowing this. Bet Harper never lets something like this happen again though lol. Now he’s learned the hard way himself.
The refs are afraid of the Knicks fans
Fans court side are prob worth $100M and spent six figures on the tickets. They have too much to lose being rowdy like the fans at the watch parties
Many top-tier stars get their seats for free, but these invitations come with unofficial “stipulations”
Ben Stiller just said before game 4 that he doesn’t buy tickets and they give them to the celebrities.
If there’s anyone on the court not doing their jobs this entire series it’s the refs lol
Karma for the two cheap fouls on KAT early. The universe decided to equalize the bad reffing.
It’s incredibly bizarre fans are allowed to be this close in general. Not just that game, it’s been like this forever. Letting players and fans practically be toe to toe on the line is nuts and has made the game look like rec league. You watch replays all the time and see the bench practically on the court sometimes. Idk it’s always been nuts to me and this play is finally bringing the ridiculousness to light. It’ll never change though, that’s too much money to move everyone just one row back.
TBH it’s kind of like this in the nfl with how close they let the players toe the field.
Basketball really is the only major league sport where a fan can get up, and high five the player as they run down. I think some players miss the COVID days where they had so much more room on the sidelines.
Players were diving and hustling way more. No landing on camera guys and front row
Shaw once tripped over Larry David sitting courtside, and then Larry had to get him the Seinfeld vhs box set…
Nothing good happens courtside
I think it was shaq though, not B Shaw
Narrator: nobody misses the Covid days 😭
I don’t miss people dying however, as an introvert and a recluse, I miss the slower pace of life 😅
And the hustle of bubble basketball
I miss the (lack of) traffic as someone who still had to go into the office.
Not the exact same but in the NHL if you got some big guys back to back on the glass you can definitely knock a player down on the glass with the right timing. You are about 12-16” higher than the players and the glass has plenty of movement.
You would 100% get ejected for that. Every time I’ve ever sat against the glass (all 3 times) the stewards were very clear about not banging on the glass or touching it at all. Obviously you see people doing it in the game still (I would bet they usually get yelled at next stop of play), but if you were to do it and actually affect play on the ice, you are getting kicked out.
I lowkey think its pretty cool. Sure it affects games but still, not having a separation between fans and players is pretty damn cool
Yeah I legitimately think it’s awesome lol. If you ever get the chance to sit near court it’s a completely different experience. I first got into basketball like 2008 or so when the wolves sucked and one of the first games I ever went to was like 3rd row vs the bulls and it was incredible. My buddy went to shoot around one time and was courtside behind the hoop when the wolves had Wiggins and Lavine and no one ever came for the seat so he sat courtside the whole time lol. Said the entire game Lavine was just going “o fuck” and blowing assignments lol. Which 100% changed my perspective on him.
Other buddies uncle I guess had really good seats to the wolves and was like “you can go to any game you want and have the tickets, besides the wolves and spurs since hearing Duncan and KG talk shit is my favorite thing.” I think the fan and player interaction is exactly what makes basketball so unique from a fan perspective.
Unfortunately will probably never get close to the court again with how expensive tickets are
Yeah I agree. Don’t blame kat or anyone else for using this stuff to their advantage but fans shouldn’t be able to interfere to that extent even if it does work for my team in this moment.
https://i.imgur.com/Iw465H1.png
Yeah they’re not moving anyone back.
I’m convinced you guys actually hate sports
Watching one game of Argentinian football would kill the average /r/NBA user.
I actually think the KAT might be signaling that Harper needs to move over. Ref signals it too. Fans were just reacting to them moving.
I think you’re right, but KAT is looking straight at the fans so he’s definitely hoping they follow Harper over a step or two lmaoooo
He practically nods his head as if to say ‘Good, right there’. I’m not mad at the fans, I would have moved over too 😅
I mean no he’s clearly signalling to the fans and you can see it in the side angle even better lol
Fans were closer to the court than the player, that’s terrible and the ref fucked up by not doing anything about it
Hey I am inbounding hereeee
He smacks the hood once*
This is so hilarious to me. I love KAT and think this is genius but damn the ref needed to tell those dudes to take a step back.
This is why you don’t have a rookie enter this pass. You 100% know Jokic is making contact with the fans and trying to get a free throw out of it.
It’s fun to be happy or mad at hypotheticals but it’s obvious there would be zero chance they make it a tech. Theres a reason why the Knicks didn’t get free throws when that Spurs fan ran the court
They’d just redo the play and have the fan step back, not that deep.
Take advantage of that youth in every way possible !!
It also clearly didn’t bother him enough to say anything. It’s a non issue all around
God this had to be so awesome for those two guys. They legit mattered to the outcome of the game.
Great, now we can have refs and front row non-celeb fans with main character syndrome.
you are saying this like fans having an influence to the outcome of a game is a good thing
That man in the suit yelling in Harper’s ear came straight from the court from a hearing.
Holy shit, great catch, definitely didn’t notice it. And also I think it’s dumb as fuck that’s allowed. This isn’t Durant at Rucker Park.
This is like Happy Gilmore when Shooter had to hit off the guy’s foot, and the surrounding fans all remained in place.
I hate the Knicks, but I actually kinda love this. They didn’t touch Harper or interfere with the play. It’s just home court shit.
Now the refs not stepping in is another story.
But overall, this is kinda hilarious and great.
They didn’t touch him but they’re definitely interfering with the play. Probably not enough to make any difference but he’s definitely not free to move. The lady from Law and Order SVU also had her hands all over the ref during this play which is absolutely insane to me.
It’s on Harper to say something though and he didn’t so it’s not like they can complain.
“The lady from Law and Order SVU also had her hands all over the ref during this play”
That’s a sentence I didn’t expect to read in my lifetime
It’s on the video Ben Stiller took of the last play which makes it even funnier. She literally storms the court after and hugs a Knicks coach I think.
She goes to Brunson’s father. Apparently she’s tight with them and the team.
Mafriska Hardatplay
Considering KAT just barely gets a finger on the ball, and it would’ve been a layup otherwise, I think these guys literally made the difference
For sure, KAT couldn’t see behind him so if Harper feinted left or anything then he might not have reacted fast enough
Those fans knew exactly what they were doing
No they didn’t, KAT had to tell them what to do twice
He was letting them know it was ok to do. Encouragement, more than direction.
Nah right at first they step away and he has to tell them come back over here.. then again to get even closer lol.
ive been watching KAT since his Kentucky days and the way hes transformed his game is wild dude used to just settle for threes now hes out here coaching the crowd on inbounds plays you love to see that growth
Funny and all,but this should not be allowed lmao
There’s a reverse angle of this video where to the left there are fans leaning in and literally standing over the line, on the inbounds court surface. Insane. I’m a Knicks fan and these fans are waaaaay too close. Literally over the line.
Dont ask for tougher basketball ever agin reddit
This is objectively , by definition, not basketball. Fan interference is not basketball. I want good basketball, not cheater who are good at playing the refs. Do you even like the sport?
fucking facts, 80% of this thread are soft as baby shit.
Soft as baby shit for not wanting fans involved? Get a grip lmao
They can fight on the court if they want for what I care,but once external factors get involved it’s bullshit
wow get a load of these guys they only want players on the court during live ball, how soft. stupid as fuck
The idea that anything goes as long as you don’t get caught is gross and 99% of redditors love it
I can’t stand it
Those fans should have been moved away by the ref or security.
Kinda cheating fr
i hate that this is a thing, fans should be way back, this is just stupid
That was bullshit! The refs missed this big time!
Shoulda Wemby’ed the dude in the suit
elbow to the neck or push down on his head to fold him over ?
Both while sketching the whole thing in a giant mirror at a private park.
I think player safety is dope lol
What about the 3ft rule? KAT seems way closer than 3 ft from the sideline
What a bunch of bs. Fuck the Knicks.
I know they’ll win but the events here make me hate them and their fans even more.
The refs allowing the Knicks fans to crowd the court is ridiculous. It’s essentially allowing cheating.
bullshit honestly that the ref didn’t do something about it.
Ehhh I’m all for home court advantage but idk about this
I get it home town advantage, but this is a Finals game with 1 second left. Ref can’t have fans interacting or close enough to touch the inbounder that is insane
Good on KAT and the audience. But WTF were the refs thinking!?
I might be in the minority here but shit like this is what makes me think that courtside fans are the worst part of the NBA
Yeah the nba has to expand the sideline or something fans shouldn’t be that close for safety reasons and the fact that they can mess with the game
As a non-American, allowing fans to be this close seems completely batshit crazy.
lmao why didn’t the refs or the spurs do anything about this
Is it bad that I think this was genius by Kat? Use every advantage possible if the refs don’t call it. The refs seemed scared to call anything once the fans got motivated. I’d do the same thing if I was Kat