Jalen Brunson and a female referee make brief, awkward contact, then carry on as if nothing happened
A stumble after a drive led to brief contact that looked even stranger on replay
Jalen Brunson drove hard toward the basket and came face-to-face with 76ers center Joel Embiid, stumbling toward the baseline. Referee Simone Jelks was nearby to get a clear view of the play. A brief but awkward collision followed, raising questions when watched on replay.
In real time, the contact lasted only an instant. The Knicks guard leaned backward as the referee stayed in place; when they collided, she appeared to help him keep his balance. That was when the two became tangled around the waist and hips.
Brunson looked back, seemingly surprised by what had happened. On replay, his hand appears to land near Jelks’ hip, slightly lower and toward the back. Jelks’ hand, meanwhile, appears to land near the front of Brunson’s hip, close to his groin. Because of the way the play unfolded, it looked as though there was contact more than once.
The contact was completely unexpected and lasted only a few seconds. The replay offers a clearer look at what happened, though viewers may interpret it differently. Both maintained their balance and carried on as if nothing had happened.
Although the replay may look unusual, the brief collision appeared accidental, and both Brunson and Jelks reacted accordingly.
The awkward moment came during a close 76ers win
The play took place during Philadelphia’s 98-93 win over New York in NBA Cup group play. Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points and six assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knicks briefly took a 90-89 lead on a Brunson 3-pointer with 1:32 remaining. LeBron James answered with a fadeaway to put Philadelphia back in front, and V.J. Edgecombe added a key 3-pointer to help seal the win.
James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 27 points.
The collision appeared completely accidental, but the replay drew attention because of how the two were positioned and how the contact looked frame by frame. For Brunson and Jelks, it was an accidental collision during the game.
