Pacers Guard Disagrees With Coach Rick Carlisle On Shifting Game 2 Loss’s Blame Onto NBA Officials

The Indiana Pacers‘ locker room is divided following Wednesday’s Game 2 loss against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Head coach Rick Carlisle, already frustrated after watching his team blow a 10-point lead, got himself ejected for launching a tirade against the officials after they questionably overturned a Knicks turnover late in the game.

In the post-game press conference, Carlisle ranted about the officials’ performance in Games 1 and 2 and accused them of being biased toward the Knicks, saying,

“There were 29 plays in Game 1 that we thought were clearly called the wrong way. I decided not to submit them because I just felt like, you know, we’d get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn’t feel that way…. Small-market teams deserve an equal shot. They deserve a fair shot no matter where they’re playing.”

While their head coach passionately argued that the officiating has been dodgy, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell dismissed his concerns and claimed the locker room did not agree with his sentiment.

The disconnect between Carlisle and the Pacers players suggests the team and its coaching staff are not on the same page. That would explain their disastrous third quarter, where they were outscored 36-18, eventually leading to their demise in the contest. While the officiating crew wasn’t perfect, Carlisle’s disastrous rotation was more at fault for the defeat than the referees.

The head coach surprisingly left McConnell on the bench for the final seven minutes, despite the guard having an excellent night and the Pacers being +10 with him on the court

Indiana also had a horrendous night from the free-throw line. They shot 10-of-17 as a team, while the Knicks banked 18-of-22 attempts, in a game New York won by nine points. Had the Pacers shot better from the free-throw line, they could’ve potentially stolen a win in Game 2.

The players are seemingly aware that Carlisle’s rotational gaffe and their free throw woes cost them the game, but the head coach feels otherwise.

Pacers on thin ice as series heads back to Indiana

The Pacers’ road trip to the Big Apple wasn’t nearly as fruitful as they’d have hoped. They are down 0-2 in the series and cannot afford to lose Game 3 or 4, as that’d leave the Knicks needing only one win to book their berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Before they turn their attention to Game 3, Carlisle and the players have to communicate and address the disconnect between the coaching staff and the roster. In both games, they’ve struggled to find their rhythm in the second half and blown considerable leads.

Carlisle should also look into using his resources better, as the Pacers’ bench, especially McConnell, has been impressive in this series. Per NBA.com, all four bench players that Indiana has used in this series finished with a positive +/- in both games, while all five starters were in the negative, suggesting they should play more minutes.

If the Pacers address these issues, they should be able to turn this series’ tide around and return to New York for Game 5 with the series leveled at 2-2. It’s easier said than done, but Indiana cannot afford to lose either of the next two games, or it could be a wrap on their playoff journey.