Jalen Brunson speaks about the officiating following the Knicks' game against the Thunder.
The New York Knicks fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, 111-100, in a game where the Knicks had their chances, but couldn't close.
Much of the discussion coming out of the game has been about the officiating, as the Thunder shot 38 free throws compared to 17 for the Knicks. Thunder superstar and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 16 free throws on his own.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson shot just four free throws.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown contributed to Shai's free throw total, picking up a technical foul late in the third quarter. Brown has been assessed just two technical fouls all season. Both of them came in games against the Thunder.
Jalen Brunson Weighs In
Any time the free-throw disparity is lopsided, the team shooting fewer free throws will often question the officiating.
It doesn't change what already happened, but it can send a message for future games.
Speaking after the game, Brunson said about the officiating, “I think we have to do a better job of having short-term memory and moving on. Focusing on what’s really important. Obviously, some things we can’t change — that’s calls being made. So we have to move on.”
His coach echoed a similar sentiment, saying the team needs to focus on things they can control and not the referees.
In the first meeting between the two teams on March 4, the Thunder shot 25 free throws compared to 22 for the Knicks. SGA shot seven free throws in that game while Brunson shot six.
Moving On
Despite the free throw differential, the Knicks had their opportunities to still win the game.
New York hit five more threes than OKC and gathered three more offensive rebounds, though OKC had four more second chance points.
After falling down by 11 with 9:43 left in the fourth, the Knicks rallied back to cut the lead to one with 6:33 remaining. The offense went cold in the final half of the fourth quarter, scoring just nine points, all by Brunson.
Brunson's squad will need a short memory as they return to the court on Tuesday, continuing their four-game road trip against a Houston Rockets team still battling for playoff positioning in the West. After two straight losses, the Knicks have fallen 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for second in the East.
New York has the tougher schedule remaining between the two teams, and will need to close out the road trip strong against the Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks will play the Celtics at Madison Square Garden on April 9 in a game that could go a long way in determining who has home court advantage in a potential second round match up.