The New York Knicks are currently on a three-game losing streak. Big absences due to the injury bug are now being felt more than ever as most teams start to enter postseason mode. No other team activates that playoff mode better than Erik Spoelstra's Miami Heat and it came at the cost of the Jalen Brunson-led squad. Frustrations are at a high for this squad and Coach Tom Thibodeau outlined one of the reasons.
The conundrum of uncalled fouls
There was not much of a disparity in fouls and free throws during the Knicks vs. Heat game. In fact, both squads racked in 17 calls while also having 21 chances at the free-throw line. But, Coach Tom Thibodeau posits that his squad should have been given the benefit of more whistles down the stretch. To put it simply, the Knicks head honcho did not like how Jalen Brunson was officiated at all. He even repeatedly hammered in a statement in his post-game presser, via New York Basketball.
“He's getting fouled,” Tom Thibodeau said six times before heading back into the locker room.
Jalen Brunson's style of play was clearly thrown out of rhythm because of this. He only got to sink 27.8% of his field goal attempts for 20 points. His shot from way out also suffered as he recorded a horrid 16.7% three-point percentage. However, the Knicks' star guard did manage to get 10 attempts at the charity stripe and knocked down nine of them. Obviously, this was not enough for the Knicks head honcho.
Even Jalen Brunson expressed his frustrations mid-game. For every alleged missed call, he looked at the referee and was mad that they did not blow the whistle. This frustration grew until the dying seconds and the Knicks' chances of making a comeback reached a screeching halt. Coach Erik Spoelstra's squad won with a 109 to 99 scoreline.
The Knicks star gets real on the officiating
Brunson, despite the defeat, still chose the high road and understood the officials instead of blasting them. He outlined the key adjustment they should have made to stay in the game against the Heat, via Alex Toledo of Five Reasons Sports.
“I mean, we have got to adjust to how they’re calling the game. Simple as that,” Brunson declared.
It looks like he is now just looking forward to their next matchup and making that adjustment. The Knicks need to show some form of dominance to end the season strong. Erik Spoelstra's Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers are all heating up and getting a lot of wins in the past 10 games. This means that their place as the fifth seed is not at all safe. If this losing streak persists, they might see themselves in the play-in race after seven games.
The next challenge for the Knicks is the Sacramento Kings. After that, they will face tough Eastern Conference competitors in the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets. All of these games are crucial if they want to get into a better position come the postseason. Will they get their groove back and pull it off?
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