Pelicans Get Technical Foul After Attempting To Use Ball Boy To Stall For Time

For some help against the New York Knicks on Saturday, the New Orleans Pelicans brought in their Sixth Man: the ball boy.

In the second quarter with New Orleans up 46-42, a stoppage occurred shortly after a contested out of bounds call — one where the ball seemed to bounce off the head of a Pelicans player. Just as the Knicks were about to inbound, though, a ball boy ran onto the court with a towel and began wiping a dry floor.

Replays suggested the staffer was urged to "sweep" by the Pelicans’ bench (including one player who gave him a nudge on the back) in order to stall and give the coaches time to decide whether to challenge the ruling.

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson recognized the trickery right away, and he signaled to the referee to issue a technical foul.

Officials did whistle the Pelicans for a delay of game, and since it was their second one, a technical foul was called against them. Brunson sank the free-throw and ultimately finished the game with a season-best 39 points.

"They knew what they were doing. Poor ballboy got yelled at," Knicks star Josh Hart told the New York Post after the game. "Their bench was telling him that."

Jalen Brunson called out the New Orleans Pelicans for using a ball boy to stall for time.

(Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)

Unfortunately for the Pels, the ball boy's efforts were not enough. New York won the game 104-93. It was the Knicks' third win in a row as New York advanced its record to 18-10 — good for third in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans are in a free fall. Saturday marked their 15th loss in the past 16 games. New Orleans' season has been heavily impacted by injuries with multiple key players, including Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, missing significant time.

Maybe let the ball boy suit up? It can't get any worse.