Thibodeau questions Knicks’ free throw disparity in loss

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks ended the first half trailing by six points, and they were notably behind in terms of free throw opportunities as they faced off against the Detroit Pistons. On Monday night, the Pistons managed to secure a 100-94 victory in Game 2 of their first-round Eastern Conference series, drawing 34 free throws in comparison to the Knicks’ 19 attempts.

With the series now tied, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau expressed concern over the disparity in free throw attempts. “Obviously huge discrepancy in free throws,” Thibodeau commented. “Huge. I’ve got to take a look at that.” He was frustrated that point guard Jalen Brunson did not receive similar calls to those given to Cade Cunningham, his counterpart on the Pistons. The Knicks intended to maintain a physical approach towards Cunningham, as they had successfully in Game 1, but found themselves frequently penalized for fouls in the latest game.

“I don’t understand how on one side you talk about direct line drives. The guy is getting fouled and it’s not being called,” Thibodeau remarked. “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.”

Interestingly, the free throw situation between the two players was relatively even, with Cunningham completing 10 out of 12 and Brunson achieving 9 out of 11. Additionally, Ausar Thompson, who primarily guarded Brunson, fouled out of the contest.

Despite these details, the Knicks found it difficult to move past their frustrations with the officiating in the first half. The Pistons had already taken 14 free throws by halftime, while Brunson was the only Knick to get to the line with two attempts.

Thibodeau often highlights the physical challenges Brunson faces, and the Knicks pay close attention to the officiating style, even distributing a unique pregame media note that includes a breakdown of the game’s officiating crew and their relevant statistics.

Brunson observed that perhaps the team needs to not dwell so much during play. “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,” he mentioned. “And so regardless of how it’s reffed, we’ve got to adjust and we’ve got to adapt to that and go on from there.”