As exciting and hotly contested as the series between the Knicks and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference championship semifinals, it’s the controversial officiating that dominates the headlines. Game 3 on Friday night was no different.
Leading 2-0 in the series (while listening to some jokes from the Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in the process) and traveling to Indianapolis looking to take the lead in the best-of-seven fight in New York – without OG Anunoby – entered the fourth quarter with a lead of five.
The Knicks were outscored 26-16 in the final frame and lost game 3, 111-106. However, on Saturday, the NBA’s latest two-minute report revealed that referees missed a crucial offensive foul on Pascal Siakam in the final stretch, which could have changed the pace of the game immensely.
With 1:57 left in the game and the score tied at 102-102, Siakam grabbed Isaiah Hartensteinthe arm under the rim like Andrew Nembhard drove to the basket, impeding “Hartenstein’s ability to defend the oncoming shot attempt,” according to the report. Nembhard then made an easy layup that gave Indiana a two-point lead.
Not only did the non-call help give the Pacers the lead, but if the offensive foul had been called on Siakam — who finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and one assist — he would have committed a foul.
While this play was the only missed/incorrect call the NBA found in the final two minutes of the game, to make matters worse, the play right before it appeared Miles Turner should have been called as a goalkeeper on a counterattack layup attempt by Josh Hart with 2:04 left, that would give the Knicks a two-point lead.
Instead, Siakam got the rebound on the blocked shot and passed it to Tyrese Haliburton who served Nembhard who made the basket.
To New York’s credit, it tied the game at 106-106 with 42.1 seconds left Jalen BrunsonIt’s three points. But after Haliburton missed a three of his own, Indiana secured the offensive rebound and with the shot clock winding down, it was Nembhard once again who hit a 31-foot three-point shot that went in with 17.1 seconds left in the game. game to give the Pacers the lead and eventual victory.
Nembhard finished with five points and was scoreless before his two big goals late in the game.
