The Indiana Pacers were stunned by the New York Knicks in Game 2, losing 130-121 despite holding a double-digit lead at halftime.
Officiating is always one of the NBA’s most controversial subjects, especially in the postseason. Multiple plays have gone viral in the Knicks-Pacers series for questionable calls against Indiana – most notably in Game 1, when an illegal screen was called on center Myles Turner in the biggest moment of the night.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and star Tyrese Haliburton shared their thoughts on the referees after Wednesday’s loss, and their takes differed quite a bit.
“Let’s not pretend like that’s the only reason we lost; we just didn’t play good enough,” Haliburton said. “They outplayed us. Let’s not pretend like the refs are the reason we lost. We just got to be better.”
After a disappointing outing to start Round 2, Haliburton bounced back in the 9-point loss, recording 34 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds on 57.9% shooting.
“There were 29 plays in Game 1 that we thought were clearly called the wrong way,” Carlisle shared. “I decided not to submit them [to the league office] because I just felt like we’d get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn’t feel that way.”