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 a shot up to take a 113-110 loss.
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.
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