TJ McConnell opposes coach Carlisle on refs: 'Not the feeling we have' / News - Basketnews.com

McConnell said the team didn't felt unjustly officiated and claimed they just have to be better, essentially disagreeing with the opinion of Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle.

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix Credit Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was highly critical of the referees after the team's Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks. Pacers guard TJ McConnell wasn't as direct.

Player of the Game EFF 31 Isaiah Hartenstein Points 14 Accuracy 5-7 Rebounds 12 Assists 8

Carlisle openly declared that Indiana is getting punished, in his opinion, by the referees for being a small market team. "We're gonna submit these calls tonight. New York, get ready, you're going to see them," he said in the post-game press conference.

The Pacers coach was ejected during the fourth quarter after an incorrect double-dribble call against New York's Isaiah Hartenstein that got overturned on the court by other officials after being determined as inadvertent even though there were both a whistle and a gesture of the violation.

McConnell, although supportive of the coach, said the players don't feel being officiated unjustly.

"I mean, we love Rick showing that type of energy on the court. Unfortunate that he got ejected but that's not the feeling that we have in the locker room. We're not going to sit there and blame the officials. We have to be better. It's just that simple," McConnell said. "They smashed us on the boards against tonight and just brought more energy than we did. We have to fix that."

Game 3 of the series is scheduled for 3:30 PM EST on May 12th, Sunday.

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