Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said the NBA is going to hear from him after a series of “disappointing” calls by referees Wednesday night.
The Pacers lost to the New York Knicks, 130-121, to fall behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Carlisle was not around to see the end of the game, earning an ejection late in the fourth quarter after he picked up his second technical for protesting an overruled double-dribble call.
But after the game, Carlisle had plenty to say about the officiating in Game 2 — and he even backtracked to Game 1 to complain about some of those calls.
“After Game 1, we always go through the film and games where it felt like the whistles weren’t balanced, we pull the clips and there’s a way you can submit them to the NBA office,” Carlisle said. “There were 29 plays in Game 1 we thought were clearly called the wrong way.
“I decided not to submit them, because I just felt like, you know, we get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn’t feel that way.”
Carlisle cited one play in particular, late in the third quarter, where Knicks star Josh Hart shoved Tyrese Haliburton in the back.
“The whole world knows Haliburton’s got a bad back, and Hart comes up and shoves him in the back. It’s all over Twitter right now,” Carlisle said. “He shoves Ty right into the corner, and there’s no whistle. And so that was shocking and there are many others. But I can promise that we are going to submit these tonight.”
Carlisle said he doesn’t want to make excuses, but said he’s “really disappointed” in the lack of balance.
“I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot, and there’s not a consistent balance, and that’s disappointing,” he said.
“Give New York credit for the physicality they’re playing with, but their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized, time after time. I’m just really disappointed.”
Here’s Rick Carlisle’s full opening statement about the officiating pic.twitter.com/XiyFRl3O9h
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Carlisle defended his technical fouls and ejection.
“The two technicals, you got to make a stand for your guys. You’ve got to stand up for what’s right, and what’s not right, and that was it,” he said.
Carlisle had been in a better mood earlier in the day, amusing reporters during a media conference by mentioning Hart’s “soirées to the rim.”
