As was the case in Game 1, more than a few Indiana Pacers fans out there are feeling aggrieved by the way Thursday’s Game 2 showdown against the New York Knicks was officiated. Similar to the series opener, there were once again a number of questionable calls throughout Wednesday’s contest, with the majority of them — at least in the eyes of Pacers supporters — not going in Indiana’s favor.
Tyrese Haliburton was asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the referees in Game 2, which prompted a brutally honest response from the All-Star point guard.
Indiana Pacers News: Tyrese Haliburton Brushes Off Officiating Controversy
For his part, Haliburton has decided to take a high-road approach. Instead of rueing missed calls and judgment errors by game officials, the 24-year-old instead focused on the things that he and his team can actually control:
“That’s not my job,” he said. “At the end of the day we got outplayed. We were right there to win the game. Would I like more consistency? Yeah. But let’s not pretend that’s the only reason we lost. We didn’t play good enough.”
Tyrese Haliburton was asked if the referees are being fair:
"That's not my job. At the end of the day we got outplayed. We were right there to win the game. Would I like more consistency? Yeah. But let's not pretend that's the only reason we lost. We didn't play good enough" pic.twitter.com/dCeiTa2j8M
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 9, 2024
That’s a painfully honest take from Haliburton. While he acknowledged the notion that the refs could do a better job, he has also made it abundantly clear that it’s the team who’s to blame for Wednesday’s deflating 130-121 loss.
Pacers Coach Calls Out Referees
Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle, however, was not as gracious as his star player. The veteran shot-caller could not help but call out the game officials as he pleaded for a more level playing ground:
"Small-market teams deserve an equal shot."
Rick Carlisle disappointed after Game 2's officiating vs. New York pic.twitter.com/KjyvXPDWOb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2024
You can be sure that Carlisle’s comments here will have some sort of impact on how the rest of the series is officiated. Whether this will favor the Pacers or not, however, is an altogether different matter.
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