INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA fined Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle $35,000 Friday for criticizing his team’s officiating during his team’s playoff series with the New York Knicks — comments that also drew the ire of guard Josh Hart.
“Rick says what he feels. It has nothing to do with us at the end of the day. I think it’s pretty disrespectful to us,” Hart said after the shooting Friday morning. “Because at the end of the day, we play and compete at a high level. It’s not about officiating. It’s not about anything like that.”
As part of his case, Carlisle reported a no-call when Hart made contact with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in the third quarter of the Knicks’ 130-121 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. It was likely one of 78 plays sent by the Pacers to the league office on Thursday, sources told ESPN, where Indiana felt it was disadvantaged by a referee’s call in Games 1 and 2 handsets.
Carlisle also questioned whether the Knicks received preferential treatment as a large-market team compared to his small-market Pacers. The NBA said Carlisle was fined, in part, for “questioning the integrity of the league and its officials.”
“Small market teams deserve an equal opportunity,” Carlisle said Wednesday. “They deserve a fair chance no matter where they play.”
Hart rejected Carlisle’s position that the Pacers were not given fair notice because of the size of their market.
“Hell no. This is so stupid, bro. Are we going to say the big market always wins? The Knicks haven’t won the chip in 51 years, so obviously it doesn’t really carry much weight,” said Hart , who played in small markets in New Orleans and Portland before coming to New York last season. “I think it’s just stupid. At the end of the day, it’s the best play, and I’ve never seen a referee shoot a free throw or make a 3 or miss a turnover, you know what I means ?”
Carlisle had said the Pacers decided not to send the calls from Game 1 to the league office for review, but reversed that decision after Game 2 had similar officiating issues from their perspective.
“We always tell our guys not to pick on the officials, but we deserve a fair chance,” Carlisle said after the second game. “You have to give New York credit for the physicality with which they play, but their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized every time.”
The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series 2-0 heading into Friday’s Game 3 at Indianapolis (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
News Source : www.espn.com
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