Almost everyone's riled up on referees who made the call during the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers Game 1 after allegedly inserting themselves in the game again.
Basketball fans, especially those of the Pacers, think game officials prevented the game from getting decided by the players after calling an offensive foul on Myles Turner against Donte DiVincenzo with 12 seconds left.
The game was still within the Pacers' reach, as they were only trailing by one point, 117-118.
The call was challenged, but the officials stood by their call. The Knicks went on to win the game, 121-117, for a 1-0 series lead.
Read more: Victor Wembanyama States One Major Regret During Rookie NBA Season
While most of the attention was on the offensive foul call, there was another play that the referees could have made better judgment.
And the league already confirmed that it should have gone the Pacers' way.
The play in question was Aaron Nesmith's kickball, with the game tied at 115 and 52 seconds remaining.
"On the floor, we felt that would be a kicked ball violation," chief official Zach Zarba said after the game.
"Post-game review did show that it hit the defender's hand, which would be legal."
It was regretful for coach Rick Carlisle's squad as scoring a field goal was possible after the steal.
Myles Turner says wrong calls may affect the game but blames the Pacers effort
Carlisle said post-game, "that's just the way it goes" in the NBA when it comes to wrong calls, but he wants game officials to do better.
For his part, Turner thinks the wrong calls affected the game, but he believes that players on the court should also be held accountable.
"For the most part you can't leave the game to be decided by the refs," he said.
"We have to take accountability as well. We know at the end of the day we can't get to that position."
Game 2 is on Wednesday at the Madison Square Garden.
Related article: Knicks PG Jalen Brunson's Stats, Decision-Making Show He is the Best Player This Postseason
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
