Carlisle questions refs: Pacers deserve 'fair shot'

Rick Carlisle believes his Indiana Pacers have been victimized by unfair officiating in their series against the New York Knicks.

The Pacers coach was ejected from Wednesday's 130-121 Game 2 loss to New York with 33 seconds to play for airing his frustration with officials. The 64-year-old suggested postgame that his club's small-market stature means the Knicks are getting preferential treatment.

"Small-market teams deserve an equal shot," Carlisle said, according to SNY. "They deserve a fair shot - no matter where they're playing"

"Games where it felt like the whistles weren't balanced," he added. "We pulled clips, and there's a way to send it to the NBA head office. ... 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 we'd get a more balanced whistle tonight. It didn't feel that way."

The Pacers identified 49 questionable calls in Game 2, plus 29 from Game 1, and submitted all 78 instances to the league office for review Wednesday night, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

One instance Carlisle took exception to was at the five-minute mark of the third quarter when Knicks wing Josh Hart appeared to push star Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton from behind without a whistle. Carlisle called it "shocking" and said there were other examples.

Carlisle added he intends to send in clips of perceived refereeing errors from Wednesday's contest to the NBA's head office prior to Friday's Game 3 in Indiana.

"I'm always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot, you know?" he said, per The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov. "And it's just - there's not a consistent balance, and that's disappointing.

"Give New York credit for the physicality that they're playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized - just time after time. I'm just really disappointed."

Indiana was called for 17 personal fouls in Game 2, leading to 22 free-throw attempts, of which the Knicks made 18. Tom Thibodeau's squad, meanwhile, committed 14 fouls, sending the Pacers to the line 17 times, where they made 10.