Ex-ATL Hawks player Pero Antic just took an "L" in his legal war with the NYPD -- after a judge decided the cop who pushed him during a 2015 incident didn't use excessive force.
Antic and then-teammate Thabo Sefolosha both sued the NYPD claiming cops got unnecessarily violent with them on the street ... after another NBA player got stabbed in a separate incident.
Officials initially said Antic grabbed an officer on the shoulder while the cop was trying to arrest Thabo. Antic claims the cop pushed him to the ground.
Antic was arrested for disorderly conduct, obstruction and menacing -- but the charges were later dropped. He then sued the NYPD looking for up to $25 million in damages.
But in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge shot down Antic's case -- essentially saying the officer had to make a split-second decision and his actions were not unreasonable. Plus, the judge points out Antic was not injured as a result.
We spoke with Antic's attorney, Derek Sells, who says he's disappointed in the judge's decision and considering an appeal.
"We believe there are questions of fact that should be determined by a jury."