Knicks’ Mike Brown questions officiating: ‘We’re not getting those same calls’

Mike Brown acknowledged the Pacers played harder than the Knicks. He also wondered why the teams were being rewarded so differently at the free-throw line.

After Friday’s 106-104 loss, Brown pointed to consecutive games in which the Knicks finished well behind their opponents in free-throw attempts. Indiana held a 25-13 advantage, two nights after the Cavs outshot New York 25-11 from the line.

“Now, are we fouling? Yes, and we got to do a better job doing our work earlier,” Brown said in his postgame news conference. “But in the same breath, the discrepancy shouldn’t be that bad two games in a row. Hopefully not three games in a row coming up.”

Brown received a technical foul late in the second quarter after arguing a no-call on an OG Anunoby layup attempt. The Pacers finished the half with 20 free-throw attempts to the Knicks’ five.

“I did get a T,” Brown said. “But the reality of it is they were playing harder than us. It was out of frustration.”

Part of that frustration carried over from Wednesday, when Jalen Brunson didn’t attempt a free throw against the Cavs. Brown believes his players are absorbing contact similar to what draws whistles at the other end.

“There are some fouls that they’re calling with our body because guys are just putting their head down and running into you and snapping their head back, but we’re not getting those same calls, and that is the frustrating part,” he said, as Fadeaway World detailed.

The Knicks fell to 6-6 and 0-2 in NBA Cup group play. They visit the Raptors on Sunday, with Brown looking for more consistent whistles and better work from his own defense.

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