The Indiana Pacers narrowly defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night. In the very last minute of that game, the officiating went off on a very hotly debated tangent. Consider the three wrong no-calls that drew deserved criticism in the NBA’s own confirmation. Even with these inconsistencies, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson avoided pointing fingers at the zebras for the loss.
In a thrilling come from behind victory, the Pacers overcame an early and daunting 20-point second half deficit. With just 12.4 seconds left, Tyrese Haliburton provided a major talking point by committing a lane violation at a critical time. The referees just really didn’t like calling it. Had the refs called Haliburton for a foul, Indiana would have been awarded a free throw. They would’ve gotten the ball next, down 119-117.
The players on both sides raised the intensity of the match during the final 15 seconds. Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers needs to be called for a 3-second violation. Instead, the Pacers turned the tables when Aaron Nesmith scored the first four points off the rebound dunk to cut the deficit to 118-113. Haliburton then secured an offensive rebound, advanced to the 3-point line, and executed a step-back jumper from the top of the key, sealing the victory for Indiana.
So when Atkinson got rewarded with the NBA Coach of the Year award earlier this week, it was hard not to smile. He was particularly upset with the way his squad lost its lead in the game’s closing minutes. He pointed out that Indiana went on the last eight points in a little less than 47.9 seconds.
“I think we always have recency bias. So what happened in the last 30 seconds? It’s like, how’d you lose that 20-point lead,” – Kenny Atkinson
Former NBA coach of the year Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Pacers, pointed out that his team had to endure more fouls than Cleveland all game. He acknowledged that both teams experienced moments of disagreement with officiating but maintained a perspective focused on game performance rather than officiating outcomes.
“Look, we’re not expecting any gifts from the refs and I don’t think we got any in the first two games. I know they disagreed with some calls, it’s all part of it,” – Rick Carlisle
With this upset, the underdog Pacers have pulled ahead, 2-0 in this best-of-seven series. With the series tied, the teams will shift their attention to Game 3, which will be held in Indianapolis on Friday. As the series progresses, both teams will need to adapt to maintain their competitive edge while navigating the scrutiny surrounding officiating decisions.
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