Expert: Pacers’ officiating protest could influence future playoff series calls

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers have sent video of dozens of plays to the NBA for review.

The Pacers contend the game officials missed 78 calls on the plays or got them wrong during the first two games against the New York Knicks.

Lee Farquhar, an associate professor of journalism and creative media at Butler University, has covered sports for many years.

Farquhar tells Daybreak anchor Scott Sanders on Friday that the recent complaints made by Pacers’ head coach Rick Carlile are not necessarily characteristic.

“There’s always a reason to complain about officiating, especially if you’re down 0-2,” he said. “I guess maybe there’s some history of this across the league but not necessarily from this Pacers coaching staff,” he said.

Farquhar added that the complaints are not about overturning any outcomes from Game 1 or Game 2.

“This would be for the NBA to review … each official is graded, of course, on their performance,” he said.

Sanders asked Farquhar if he thinks what Carlile did was intended to get into the Knicks’ head or the officials.

“Yeah, I think it’s like somewhat of an endgame strategy where a coach may intentionally push enough to get a technical foul called firing up his own team. Maybe causing the refs to have a little bit of pause or maybe balance out the whistles a little bit,” he said. “So this is sort of the long view of that kind of strategy.

 “Perhaps it will have some impact on sort of between the ears for the players. I also think a big impact on the refs are going to be a packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse set of fans cheering and on them for every call.”

Pacers Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals begins on Friday at 7 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.