The series between the NY Knicks and the Indiana Pacers has been a fiery affair so far with controversies, chants and calls out throughout 3 games. A mini-battle is also brewing in parallel, but this one is not being fought on the court; the feud between Josh Hart and Pacers HC Rick Carlisle.
After the controversial calls in the opening two games, Carlisle went on a passionate rant about the NBA and the officiating standards. His remarks about “small market teams” expecting a fair fight did not sit well with the league and the 64-year-old was subsequently fined $35k for his troubles. When asked about it in an interview before game 3, Josh Hart did not mince his words and said, “F**k no, that’s so stupid bro. You’re going to say the big market always wins? The Knicks haven’t won a championship in 51 years, so obviously that doesn’t hold much weight. I don’t fully understand that.”
Apologizing to the NY fans for the reminder, the guard continued, “It’s idiotic. At the end of the day, it’s who is playing the best. I’ve never seen a ref shoot a free throw or make a three or miss a rotation.” The Pacers submitted a dispute for 78 calls which the franchise deemed unfair following their review of the first two games. Apart from slamming the officials, Carlisle did not hold back while venting about Hart’s action in game 2.
Carlisle indirectly accused the Knicks player of dirty play after he shoved Tyrese Haliburton in the back despite being fully aware of his injury history.
“If you look I hit the ball. Might I have bumped him a little bit? Yeah, both of us are running at full speed and he’s in front of me and I’m trying to make a play on the ball,” said Hart, “Rick’s saying whatever he feels, that has nothing to do with us.” He further added that he found the veteran HC’s comments very disrespectful.
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After the Pacers won 111-106 in game 3, Josh Hart was again probed by the press, and he played his card safely, unlike his counterpart.
Josh Hart Reflects on Game 3 Officiating
During a post-game interview when Josh Hart was asked about the officiating in the third game, he mockingly said, “I like my money. I’m gonna keep my money,” taking a sly dig at Rick Carlisle’s situation.
However, he revealed, “I think what was tough for us was one of [the officials] wasn’t approachable. In a playoff game, the rules are sometimes, you want to see what they interpret and [how] they see the foul so you know how they are calling it.” He did not mention the referee’s name to stay away from trouble.
Now that the Pacers have cut the series deficit to 2-1, both the Eastern teams will try their best to succeed in the upcoming game on Sunday to keep the semifinal battle alive.
