The Western Conference semifinal series between the Knicks and the Pacers has already seen its fair share of actions. With the Knicks leading 2-0 in the series, there has also been no shortage of controversies. A furious Rick Carlisle touched upon one such controversial moment where Josh Hart was seen shoving Tyrese Haliburton in the back.
The Pacers HC clarified his frustrations with Hart’s behaviour, which he deemed malicious. “The whole world knows that Haliburton‘s got a bad back. And Hart comes up and shoves him in the back,” said Carlisle in a press conference. He pointed out the incident from game 2 of the series when Hart pushed Haliburton from behind during the 3rd quarter. As of the time of writing, no reaction from the Knicks forward has been noted, but knowing his volatile character, a statement to address the issue might be on its way.
Carlisle accused Josh Hart of being a dirty player while not coining it straight. But that was not the end of the 64-year-old’s complaints, as the NBA received a dispute over 78 calls made by the officials in the two games.
Pacers File 78 Dispute Calls After Rick Carlisle’s Complaints
After game 2 of the series, Carlisle clarified his feelings about the officiating, stating the procedure of reviewing the tapes for calls that could’ve gone the other way; the Pacers HC disclosed some eye-popping numbers.
“In the playoffs, when you submit things the other team sees what you submit and so there were 29 plays in Game 1 that we thought were clearly called the wrong way,” said Carlisle. He added that he felt more balanced officiating would be in the next game, but he stood corrected.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
According to Brian Windhorst, the Pacers have filed a complaint to the NBA for 78 dispute calls. Josh Hart’s incident was one of the 49 incidents from game 2, which the Indiana franchise felt should’ve gone their way. Pacers legend Reggie Miller was vocal about the referees before game 2 when he took charge of the commentary desk.
Rick Carlisle also said, “Small-market teams deserve an equal shot. They deserve a fair shot no matter where they’re playing,” revealing his displeasure over the whistles. The next game will be played at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, and after Carlisle’s fiery rants, he’d certainly hope for a more even game from the refs.
