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The Indiana Pacers missed a golden opportunity to steal home-court advantage from the New York Knicks and tie their first-round series when they lost, 130-121, on Wednesday.
While they had numerous deficiencies, their head coach, Rick Carlisle, decided to blame something external: the referees.
He was fined $35,000 by the NBA as a result, and afterward, he said he will have the back of everyone associated with the Pacers, per Knicks Videos on Twitter.
Rick Carlisle was asked about being fined $35,000 for his comments about the officiating after Game 2:
“I’m gonna support my players and our fanbase and our ownership 100%. And I’m done talking about it.” pic.twitter.com/ec1QUN8TbS
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 10, 2024
Whether the Pacers have a legitimate reason to complain about those decisions, in the end, they only have themselves to blame for losing.
They got off to a very good start, leading by 10 at halftime and putting up 73 points in the first half against a Knicks team that makes a living by mucking up the game defensively.
But the Pacers fell apart afterward, getting outscored 36-18 in the third quarter, and as was the case in Game 1, they got massively out-rebounded in the second half.
After halftime, New York held a 26-13 advantage on the boards, and for the game, guard Josh Hart was a star once again with 15 rebounds.
Game 3 is on Friday, and it is a virtual must-win contest for the Pacers as they return home to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
They must contain Jalen Brunson defensively, and they must turn the game into a track meet and consistently outrun a Knicks team that is suddenly short-handed without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and now OG Anunoby.
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