New York Knicks did not take Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle's jokes about their team lightly.

The Knicks are coming off a crucial 106-100 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night. This allowed them to reduce the series deficit to 2-1, extending their series to at least Game 5.

However, that didn't stop Carlisle from taking jabs at the Knicks. During the Pacers' pregame press conference ahead of Game 4 on Monday, the head coach joked about New York guard Cameron Payne not playing even though he had good moments throughout the postseason.

Knicks fans came in droves to react to Carlisle's comments, not having any of it. Here are some of their reactions.

“Carlisle is a sicko lmaoooooo,” one fan said.

“This guy is a troll 😭😭😭. Wants Payne and Achuwia minutes,” another remarked.

“This is ninja level mind control Rick is pulling here lol,” one commented.

“He should have a Comedy Central special,” one stated.

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“He probably doesn’t care what Thibs does with his bench. But he DOES want him to start overthinking what he should do, and that could take his focus away from the adjustments that really matter,” a fan explained.

What's next for Rick Carlisle, Pacers

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle shouts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks during game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It's all good for Rick Carlisle to make jokes about some Knicks players not getting enough playing time. What matters, however, is that he makes his real response by helping the Pacers win Game 4.

Carlisle and the Pacers wasted a big opportunity to go up 3-0 in the East Finals, a deficit no team in NBA history has ever come back from. While they maintain a 2-1 series lead, the margin of error has gotten significantly smaller as they need to adjust for the remainder of the series.

Indiana is two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. To put it simply, they must defend home-court in Game 4 and try to finish off the Knicks in Game 5 or Game 6 if the series goes that far.

The Pacers will look to go up 3-1 in the series when they host the Knicks in Game 4. The contest will take place on May 27 at 8 p.m. ET.