Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had seen enough.
He picked up two technical fouls in the final minute of their 130-121 Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks. The first one came after the officials reversed a double dribble call against Isaiah Hartenstein.
While Hartenstein did not commit a violation, the refs reversed the call made on the floor. Carlisle was livid, picking up a technical.
As it became clear the Pacers would lose, Carlisle mockingly clapped in front of a referee and he was sent to the locker room.
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“I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot,” he said postgame. “There’s not a consistent balance, and it’s disappointing.
“(The Knicks’) physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized, time after time.”
One play Carlisle noted was a no-call when Josh Hart pushed Tyrese Haliburton in the back on a second-half fast break.
In Game 1, the refs called a kicked ball on Aaron Nesmith in the final minute, didn’t discuss on court, and continued play. On the next play, New York’s Donte DiVincenzo hit a 3 to break a tie. After that game, the refs acknowledged they made an incorrect call.
