The Indiana Pacers, trailing 2-0, suffered another defeat against the New York Knicks in game 2 at Madison Square Garden, squandering a significant lead. Rather than attributing the loss to his coaching decisions or acknowledging the Knicks’ performance, Rick Carlisle primarily vented his frustration towards the referees during his press conference. Carlisle particularly took issue with a crucial call in the game where a double-dribble was initially called on Knicks center Isiah Hartenstein in the late stages of the 4th quarter, only for the referees to reverse the decision, ruling it as an inadvertent whistle. Carlisle’s outburst resulted in him receiving two technical fouls before the game’s conclusion. However, despite Carlisle’s protest, the referees’ decision was correct, as Hartenstein had not committed a double-dribble.

Following the game, Carlisle strongly criticized the officiating. Although he downplayed the significance of the double-dribble controversy, he expressed his belief that the Pacers are disadvantaged due to being a small-market team, insinuating that they aren’t receiving favorable calls. Carlisle cited a pivotal incorrect kick ball call in Monday’s game 1, which heavily favored the Knicks and resulted in a crucial go-ahead three-pointer for them in the final minute, as evidence to support his argument.

That decision was clearly questionable, and it’s understandable that he’s upset about it. However, in Wednesday’s second game, the officiating appeared to be fair overall. Free throw opportunities were evenly distributed until the Pacers had to resort to fouling in the final minute of the game.

Furthermore, the argument about small market teams being disadvantaged doesn’t seem to hold much merit when you consider the facts. If the NBA were truly biased towards helping big-market teams succeed, the New York Knicks, the second-most valuable franchise in the league situated in its largest market, would have seen more success over the past 25 years. Instead, since 2023, half of the NBA championships have been claimed by teams from San Antonio, Oakland, and Miami, which are not typically considered the league’s premier markets.

In the end, it appears to be a case of sour grapes. The Pacers are up against a Knicks squad missing key players like Julius Randle, Bogdan Bogdanović, and Mitchell Robinson. There’s a possibility they’ll also be without OG Anunoby, who appeared to injure his hamstring in the latter half of game two.

Now, if the Pacers struggle to defeat a significantly weakened Knicks team, with starters possibly playing the entire 48 minutes in some instances, it reflects more on the Pacers’ capabilities than on any officiating issues.

Game 3 of the series heads to Indianapolis on Friday.