INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers are done biting their tongues about the officiating.
Now they want to take a bite out of the refs.
The Pacers submitted to the NBA what they feel were 78 blown calls from their Game 1 and 2 losses to the Knicks, hoping to get “a fair shot” in Friday’s Game 3 and beyond.
But in truth, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle had already vowed to do as much after Wednesday’s 130-121 loss, during a postgame diatribe accusing — among other things — refereeing bias against small-market teams and questionable play by Josh Hart.
Carlisle — who could be fined for his strategic-but-blunt critique of the officiating — said the Pacers had picked out 29 incorrect or non-calls that disadvantaged them in their Game 1 loss, but opted not to submit them.
But after 49 more in Game 2, they uploaded the clips overnight to the NBA.
The news was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post.
“I can promise you that we’re going to submit these [overnight]. New York can get ready; they’ll see ’em too. I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials, but we deserve a fair shot,” Carlisle said after getting two technicals and ejected in the final minute after the refs reversed a double-dribble call against Isaiah Hartenstein.
quarter of the Knicks’ Game 2 win. TNT
This coming in the wake of the officials blowing a kicked-ball call against the Pacers in Game 1.
Scours told The Post before the series that officiating would be a huge key. That has proven true.
“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle said. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they’re playing.”
Carlisle was particularly incensed over a play that occurred with five minutes left in the third when Hart pushed Tyrese Haliburton in the back with both hands, and was not called for a foul.
The Pacers star has been dealing with back soreness and was questionable entering the series.
“The whole world knows that Haliburton’s got a bad back, and Hart comes up and shoves him in the back,” said Carlisle, adding referee J.B. DeRosa was “looking right at [it]. There’s no whistle. That was shocking.”
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Carlisle’s comments were likely a mix of backing his players, boiled-over anger and a championship coach tactically working the refs as the series heads back to Indiana for Games 3 and 4.
“We love Rick showing that type of energy on the court,” T.J. McConnell said. “Unfortunate that he got ejected. But that’s not the feeling that we have in the locker room. We’re not going to sit here and blame officials. We’ve got to be better; it’s just that simple.”
Despite agreeing about a discrepancy in refereeing, Haliburton said the calls weren’t the only factor in their losses.
“Would I like more consistency? Yeah. But let’s not pretend like that’s the only reason we lost. We just didn’t play good enough,” Haliburton said. “At the end of the day, it’s 2-0, we’re going back to Indy, and I like us in any matchup. I’m not worried.”
