NYT: NBA Investigating Whether or Not Isiah Ordered Hard Foul

The NFL has just about culminated a rather boring day of pigskin - love the sport, but Sunday's games were awful, and largely irrelevant - so it's time to get back to The Brawl.

In a story posted online moments ago by the New York Times, the NBA is investigating whether or not Knicks' coach Isiah Thomas ordered a hard foul that touched off a melee Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

With 1 minute 32 seconds left in the game, the MSG broadcast focused on Thomas while Denver's Marcus Camby shot free throws. The Nuggets were leading by 117-100. Thomas, standing on the sideline, his arms folded and his jaw tight, bites his lower lip and then starts talking to a Nuggets player. The player is not in the camera shot, but the broadcaster Mike Breen notes that Thomas is talking to Anthony.

There is no audio of Thomas, but he appears to say: "Hey, don't go to the basket right now. It wouldn't be nice." Seconds later, Thomas cocks his head, holds out his right palm and, with a slight smile, adds, "Just letting you know."

Isiah Thomas has set a few lows since his Hall of Fame career ended - running the NBA's junior league, the CBA , into the ground; he is currently embroiled in a sexual harrassment case with an MSG employee; and of course, there's the Knicks bloated and embarrassing payroll - but this would likely be his coup de grace with the franchise.

Just four days before the brawl, Knicks owner James Dolan publicly stated Thomas had the entire season to save his job, but in the wake of Saturday night's rumble, Dolan's may have reason to fire him now, something that would make the New York media extremely happy. Just in case 9-17 wasn't enough.