The Indiana Pacers gave up a late lead and fell to the New York Knicks 121-117 in Game 1 of their second-round NBA Playoffs series on Monday night.
But it turns out that the officials missed a critical call at the end of the game. Late in the fourth quarter, Aaron Nesmith was called for a kicked ball violation while guarding the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson. Replay showed that the ball did not hit the Pacers forward’s foot and play should have continued.
After the game, referee Zach Zarba admitted as much in the Pool Report, per Ian Begley of SNY:
“Question: Upon review, was the kicked ball call against Aaron Nesmith deemed to be correct?
Zarba: On the floor we felt that would be a kicked ball violation. Post-game review did show that it hit the defender’s hand, which would be legal.
Question: Could the Pacers have been allowed to challenge the kick ball call?
Zarba: A kicked ball violation is not reviewable and not subject to the coach’s challenge. The three things that teams can challenge are fouls, goaltends, and out of bounds.”
It’s good to know that Pacers’ fans aren’t crazy for booing the call, but also unfortunate that the call isn’t reviewable. The playoffs are intense, and a lot of different things can happen to put a team in a poor spot.
Pacers fall to Knicks in Game 1
The Knicks pulled out the Game 1 after outscoring the Pacers by nine in the fourth quarter.
Despite the unfortunate outcome, the Pacers have a lot to be happy with. They kept in stride with the Knicks, even leading for much of the second half, and against a noisy Garden crowd.
It would have helped Indiana set the tone for the series but losing Game 1 isn’t the end of the world. Regardless, the Pacers have to feel like they missed a major opportunity.
Tyrese Haliburton, leader of the resurgent Pacers this season, only scored six points on 2-6 shooting in 36 minutes while dealing with back spasms before the game. He did have eight assists, but Haliburton needs to be significantly more aggressive if Indiana is going to be able to hang with the Knicks in this series.
Some of Haliburton’s passiveness can be attributed to the Knicks’ defense. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo were guarding him tightly for most of the game. New York’s defenders worked hard to fight over screens and force the Pacers guard to go downhill. They eliminated his three-point pull-up threat, and Haliburton didn’t seem comfortable with his in-between game, causing him to pass up on a few scoring opportunities.
Game 2 between the Pacers and Knicks will take place on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
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