Tom Thibodeau & Knicks Frustrated With Officiating Following Game Two Loss

The New York Knicks fell to the Detroit Pistons 100-94 on Monday. Following the loss, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was not shy about expressing his thoughts on the officiating.

The game, which saw the Pistons take 34 free throws compared to 19 for the Knicks, was controlled by Detroit throughout. Three players on the Knicks finished with four or more fouls by the end of the game.

“Huge discrepancy in free throws, huge,” Thibodeau said during the post-game press conference. “I don’t understand how on one side, the guy’s getting fouled and it’s not getting called.”

Only three players on the Knicks shot free throws. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart. Brunson made nine of the team’s 16 free throws.

While the free-throw difference was largely in the Pistons’ favor, they had more fouls called on them than the Knicks, with 24 and 22, respectively.

Brunson finished the game with 37 points and seven assists. He also shot 11 free throws, the second most of any player in the game.

He was the only Knicks player to eclipse 20 points or six assists.

The series is now tied 1-1 and headed to Detroit. Game three will be played on Thursday, and the Knicks have opened as a slight one-and-a-half-point favorite.

For the Knicks and Thibodeau to take a game on the road, they’re going to need better free-throw luck than on Monday.