Jalen Brunson, the point guard for the New York Knicks, expressed frustration regarding the officiating in their recent playoff game against the Detroit Pistons. Just as he was starting to feel like he wasn’t receiving the same friendly whistle as fellow All-Star Cade Cunningham, this difference played a huge role in the ultimate outcome of the game. The Knicks dropped a game to the Pistons 100-94 that featured an egregious difference in free throw attempts.
In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round matchup, the Knicks managed only 19 free throw attempts, while the Pistons shot 34 free throws. It was a gap that became painfully obvious in those first 45 minutes. Brunson personally accounted for both of New York’s free throw attempts through the game’s first two quarters. The next closest team in free throw attempts during that span—the Pistons—took an astonishingly 14 attempts.
Brunson’s sentiments regarding officiating were shared by his coach, Tom Thibodeau, who frequently voices concerns over the physical play his player endures. Thibodeau noted that Brunson was consistently fouled yet did not receive calls, stating, “The free throws for those two players were actually about even.”
The Knicks organization had closely monitored officiating trends, analyzing the stats of the game’s three officials in their pregame media notes. Despite this preparation, Brunson believes his team may need to focus less on officiating during games and concentrate more on their performance.
“Regardless if fouls are being called or not called, we’ve got to adjust, and I feel like we did that a little too late into the game,” – Tom Thibodeau
Thibodeau renewed his call for uniformity in officiating. He made the point that if lowly Cunningham is drawing free throws off miniscule contact on his drive through the paint, our man Brunson should be doing that too.
“And look, I don’t really give a crap how they call the game, as long as it’s consistent on both sides. So, if Cunningham is driving and there is marginal contact and he is getting to the line, then Jalen deserves to be getting to the line. It’s really that simple.” – Tom Thibodeau
Brunson was an atrocious free-throw shooter. This undermining issue might prove to be the most critical aspect to the Knicks performance as they continue through the post-season. The disparity in calls could lead to adjustments necessary for New York to capitalize on opportunities and improve their chances in future games.
Leave a Reply