The Atlanta Hawks narrowly escaped the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, 114-111, needing two clutch free throws from Trae Young to seal the victory.
The Pacers had a huge chance to steal the win when rookie Chris Duarte stole the ball and raced to their court for a layup. Hawks wingman Kevin Huerter went hard to contest the shot, but no foul was called, prompting Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to go livid.
Carlisle, who was still hot at the referees after the game, lamented the crucial non-call (via ESPN).
“The last play was unfortunate. Those of you that saw it saw Huerter pull him down, pull the jersey down while he's going up. That was clearly a foul. I'm not sure why it wasn't called.”
A foul on Huerter would've given Duarte, an 83.3 percent free throw shooter in home games, a chance to give the Pacers the lead with two charity shots with only less than three seconds remaining. But alas, a whistle was not heard.
When asked about the crucial break, Huerter, who finished with 19 points, couldn't help but give a snarky answer.
“I never foul. I've never fouled anybody in my life.”
The Hawks, led by Young's 33 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, improved to 12-10 while the Pacers dropped to 9-15. The Hawks bounced back after a listless performance against the New York Knicks.
The Pacers can try to bounce back themselves when they host the Miami Heat on Friday.
Follow Us
Subscribe