New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau isn't letting up on the officials heading into to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon. A couple of days after Thibodeau refused to defend the referees for not ejecting Joel Embiid after his flagrant foul in Game 3, the frustrated coach took a more aggressive approach.
The Knicks' boss called them out for sending Embiid to the free-throw line an ungodly amount of times, via ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
“Tom Thibodeau points out, again, that Joel Embiid went to the foul line 21 times in Game 3,” Bontemps tweeted. “Thibodeau made it clear yesterday in his meeting with reporters how he felt the referees handled things in that game.”
Embiid is known for getting calls when he goes up for layups, but a player getting 21 free-throw attempts in one game is uncommon, even in today's era. The modern NBA may be strict on defensive fouls, but it seemed like the Philadelphia 76ers' superstar was getting a call every time he had the ball inside.
This was especially frustrating for New York considering how Embiid got a relative slap on the wrist for his flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson. Many Knicks players thought that the 2023 MVP should've been ejected, so when combining this incident with the excessive free throws, it's easy to see why the team has a chip on its shoulder.
Thibodeau has complained about the officiating for a while now, especially when it comes to New York not getting foul calls on the offensive end. Will “Thibs” ever make peace with the refs, or will this problem continue for the rest of the season and beyond?
Consistency and fairness from officials are the main concerns of the Knicks
Thibodeau's frustration is understandable, as he's witnessed star guard Jalen Brunson get beaten up inside without getting foul calls all series. He sounded off about it after Game 2, via Barstool Sports.
Brunson struggled in the first two games, shooting just 16-of-55 from the field, with just 15 free-throw attempts. The 2024 All-Star then got back to his usual production in Game 3, scoring 39 points on 13-of-27 shooting from the field, to go with a 10-12 clip from the charity stripe.
Brunson's performance improved when he got more foul calls. While his scoring output can't be entirely blamed on officials, the way they call the game certainly affects the result.
Conversely, Embiid has already taken 45 free throws through just the first three games alone. While the seven-time All-Star deserves credit for his ability to draw fouls, it's hard not to think that that number may be a bit excessive. Embiid's 15 free throw attempts per game in this year's playoffs are by far the most, with Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard in second with 9.3.
The key is for both teams to get the same treatment. Whether the game is called strictly or they “let them play,” the officials have to give both sides the same privileges to avoid these public complaints. Only time will tell if they'll adjust based on Thibodeau's comments.
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