Coming off good news that New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle made the All-Star team, earning a victory over the Golden State Warriors was a necessity. While the Knicks entered the second half with the lead, the Warriors quickly regained lost ground, dominating the third quarter, outscoring NY 39-26.
Ultimately, it was a disappointing loss for the Knicks, who hosted fans at MSG for the first time in months. However, one veteran player believes that Golden State was receiving an unfair advantage from the referees.
“I felt we were getting good shots,’’ Derrick Rose said. “To be honest, we weren’t getting the calls. It felt like guys were going into the lane and we weren’t getting the same calls. It makes it hard when it’s that lopsided.’’
Rose finished the contest with 16 points over 27 minutes, collecting eight assists and four rebounds. Altogether, Rose had a solid performance, tantalizing Steph Curry on defense but adding a bit of confidence to the Knicks’ offense.
As for the lack of calls, Rose was perplexed that the officiating was so lopsided.
“I really don’t know,’’ Rose said. “We’re pros. I don’t even want to bring up their names. It just makes it hard when you’re already struggling on the offensive end.
“You’re driving and not getting the same call. It makes it seem something else is going on.”
The New York Knicks had a clear disadvantage:
If you watched the game on Tuesday evening, you would likely agree with Rose in the sense that the officiating was clearly uneven. Golden State had an unfair advantage at times, especially on one play where RJ Barrett jumped straight in the air with a slight twist that was enough for two shots at the end of the game.
With New York dropping this game, it extends their differential from .500 on the season by two games. They will now play the Sacramento Kings on Thursday evening, which should offer a bit easier of a contest. The Kings have lost their last eight games straight, and while they haven’t scored below 110 points, their defense is abysmal.
New York, however, lacks a clutch shooter, and their streakiness from three-point doesn’t do them any favors. At some point, they are going to need to find a consistent shooter that isn’t named Reggie Bullock, and the reality is, the only method of acquiring one might be through a trade.
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