Top 10 Blown Calls

Anytime Hue Hollins visits the Big Apple, New York Knicks fans should treat him to a steak at Sardi’s. In 1994, the Knicks trailed the Chicago Bulls 86-85 in the final seconds of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series was tied at two games each, and the Bulls, playing in the midst of Michael Jordan’s baseball sabbatical, were one defensive stand away from securing a crucial road win and perhaps stealing the series. New York’s Hubert Davis launched a shot from the top of the key; it clanked off the rim, but Hollins called a foul on Chicago’s Scottie Pippen, sending Davis to the foul line for two shots. Yes, Pippen touched Davis’ arm, but he did so after the shot was released. In the last seconds of a crucial game, basketball’s ancient, unwritten code demands that the ref let it go. But Hollins blew his whistle, Davis hit both free throws, and the Knicks won both the game and the series. The name Hue Hollins still makes Chicago cringe.