Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was steaming during his press conference after a Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. He was ejected from the game late, as he was giving the referees an earful on calls he did not agree with.
During his press conference, he insinuated that the NBA is pushing for a big-market New York Knicks team to advance in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and that his small-market Indiana Pacers should get a fair shot. Those comments fell on deaf ears, as even his players didn’t fully agree with his comments after the game.
One of the comments that stood out when Carlisle took the podium was how many calls the team believes went against them in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. In his estimation, 29 calls were missed, but the Pacers didn’t file a complaint following the contest.
In Game 2, it was more of the same. According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, via New York Basketball on X, the Pacers stayed up all night and found 49 instances of calls going against them in Game 2. All in all, that is 78 calls the team believes the referee crew blew in the first two games.
After not filing a complaint after Game 1, the team changed course following their Game 2 loss. According to Windhorst, the Indiana Pacers have submitted 78 clips of incorrect or non-calls that were missed at Madison Square Garden. Those clips will also be sent to the New York Knicks, per the league’s protocol.
“I can promise you that we’re going to submit these tonight,” Carlisle said after being ejected in the final minute when he was given two technical fouls. “New York can get ready. They’ll see ’em too. I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot.”
Carlisle is making these two losses all about the referees. It is asinine to expect referees to blow the whistle 78 times in two games on top of all the calls that they made. Some calls have gone against the Pacers, which the New York Knicks have benefitted from and the NBA confirmed in the two-minute report from Game 1.
But, it isn’t the referees’ fault that the Indiana Pacers have given up 121 and 130 points in the losses. The officials have no bearing on some questionable rotation and lineup decisions made by Carlisle. But, the NBA will listen and some favorable calls could be coming their way when they return home as a result of the compaint.
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