Everybody enjoy the referee show that ended the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks game one?
Yeah, me either.
The Indiana Pacers fell to the New York Knicks by a final score of 121-117 as they battled the Eastern Conference’s second seed and a series of errors, bad calls, and flops that all seemed to favor the home team down the stretch.
“I don’t want to talk about the officiating,” Rick Carlisle said after the game. “We aren’t expecting to get calls in here.”
That’s alright, coach. I got this.
If you’d prefer the basketball analysis to come first before any referee complaining, I hear you. I get it. I don’t want to be doing this; I don’t think I’ve ever done this before but tonight if want basketball talk you should go find Caitlin Cooper’s incredible patreon or Tony East’s Locked on Pacers podcast. This display by the officials was the highest level of consistent ineptitude and must be scrutinized heavily and I have to start there. That’s the unfortunate story of this game.
I don’t even know where to begin. Jalen Brunson can’t be breathed on the entire game without snapping his head back and going to the foul line but when he lands on Myles Turner’s shoulder before getting a block on a play that was reviewed and reversed, it’s just “marginal contact.”
The Pacers are forced to review clean steals where Haliburton makes no contact on a Brunson dribble that takes away a transition bucket in clutch moments but Brunson gets to the foul line (14 attempts) almost as much as the entire Pacers roster (19). The Knicks got free points on an uncalled lane violation on a Josh Hart missed free throw where he gathered his own miss for a layup.
But the game permanently shifted in the final minute on two plays where the referees couldn’t tell whether or not the ball hit a Pacers defender’s foot–an important part of the job would be to see this kind of thing you would think. They ruled both plays incorrectly on the floor but were only able to review and reverse one. You can guess who that ended up favoring given the tone of the article.
First, with the game tied with 52 seconds left, Aaron Nesmith fights through a clear moving screen that goes uncalled and hustles towards Brunson to trap him and deflects the pass with his hand to a Pacers teammate. Whistle blows. Kick ball violation.
Well, that sucks but at least the Pacers have a challenge remaining, right?
Well for some dumbass reason, a kickball violation is not one of the things that can slow down a basketball game for a review when the referees suck at their profession. So the Knicks retained possession on a phantom whistle that likely prevented an easy fastbreak bucket for the Pacers and what happens on the Knicks possession, Donte DiVincenzo hits a 3-pointer to put the Knicks up 3. 5-point swing just like that.
The Pacers eventually score on their following possession and don’t immediately foul and try to force a turnover. Jalen Brunson dribbles the ball off of Andrew Nembhard’s foot and it rolls out of bounds. Only problem is the officials once again can’t see what happened. Tyler Ford, Ref #39–if you ever see him just know that both teams are going to have a lot to complain about in the game you’re about to watch–who had the worst angle on the play, decides it was out on the Knicks. Pacers ball.
Oh but remember that “marginal contact” play where Brunson fouled Turner but the call was reversed. Well since it was incorrectly ruled a clean play, the Knicks had a challenge remaining and were able to review that the ball did indeed hit the Pacers foot.
So to review, the referees don’t see that the ball doesn’t hit the Pacers defender’s foot: Indiana’s fucked. The referees don’t see that the ball does hit the Pacers defender’s foot: Indiana’s fucked. Clear?
But we haven’t seen the end of the official madness in this one folks. Donte DiVincenzo–clearly knowing he has three extra teammates on the floor–gives them one more way to contribute in the final moments and put the game in the hands of the Knicks MVPs.
The Pacers have the ball with under 20 seconds left, down just one after the officials made a good call (wow!) when Brunson tried to throw the ball of off Tyrese Haliburton but it bounced off of Brunson who was out of bounds. Myles Turner comes to set a screen for Haliburton and doesn’t quite get his feet set. DiVincenzo realizes that he’s about to get caught on the screen, takes the marginal contact and as he’s falling gives the biggest flop you’ll ever see on the final play of the game. Ref #39, Tyler Ford–go back to Ball State and find a new career that does not involve processing information with your eyes quickly in high-pressure situations, you suck at this–buys the flop and calls a moving screen. Brunson flops on the inbounds pass to get an extra free throw on the following possession and the game is over.
“In my experience in this league, I think it’s best when players decide the outcome of the game,” Turner said after the game.
There also appeared to be a incorrect shot clock violation called early in the game against the Pacers where Haliburton beat the buzzer to rebound an airball and put it in but it was ruled he was out of bounds when he initially got the rebound and that’s why it was never reversed.
What the fuck was that, NBA? Really? At least Stan Van Gundy called it like it was on the TNT broadcast but that’s not going to help the Pacers.
There’s no silver lining here. Indiana is down 0-1. But the Pacers could have won this game despite all of the bad calls from a crew where two of the three were born in New York City and had plenty to fault themselves for in this game. Everyone had a solid enough game really except for Tyrese Haliburton who took only six shots and scored 6 points with 8 assists. He had two awful turnovers down the stretch and seemed to cede control of the offense to Andrew Nembhard the rest of the way. His back must be bothering him more than he’s let on but it was the second straight complete dud from the Pacers offensive engine in a game one of a playoff series.
The Knicks needed all those calls to go their way, a Hartenstein heave at the end of the first half to go in, and Haliburton looking like a shell of himself to barely win game one. The Pacers can beat these guys but you have to wonder if this is the game that will haunt them as the series progresses. More on this game to come.
iPacers - Indiana Pacers News 
During an appearance on NBA Countdown, Adrian Wojnarowski provided insights into the injury situation surrounding Knicks forward OG Anunoby. The star player has been receiving intensive treatment for a left hamstring injury, with minimal progress reported thus far. Wojnarowski’s assessment suggests that Anunoby’s availability for Game 5 remains uncertain, placing additional pressure on the Knicks to navigate the series without one of their key contributors. Read More… https://www.basketballall.com/knicks-face-injury-woes-ahead-of-game-4-can-new-york-overcome-key-absences-against-pacers/
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