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Knicks’ Ref Disadvantage in Finals Hard to Deny After Game 2

Isaiah De Los Santos|
The refs are giving the Knicks plenty of trouble to start the NBA Finals.
The refs are giving the Knicks plenty of trouble to start the NBA Finals. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The Knicks may have a true ref problem on their hands in the NBA Finals. The opening tilt against the Spurs featured plenty of officiating controversy, though there was hope a new crew and how things played out in Game 1 would cause a course correction.

Instead, New York's questionable whistle on both ends continued in Game 2, and was arguably even worse than Wednesday night. Following two contests that have now unfolded with a heavy San Antonio leaning from the refs, it's difficult to write this off as a non-issue for the Knicks.

Game 2 confirms Knicks’ worst fears about Finals refs

None of the officials who worked Game 1 were part of Game 2's crew, yet it didn't matter. Once again, there were head-scratching calls on specific plays, discrepancies in the box score, and a general Spurs-heavy feel when it came to fouls.

First, there's the pure stats. San Antonio once again shot more free throws (27) than New York (21), and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama led all players in attempts (8) for the second consecutive contest. The Knicks were also called for 23 fouls, while Wembanayma and co. only had 20, despite being the more aggressive team in terms of seeking out contact.

In addition, New York didn't shoot a single free throw in the second half until the 2:37 mark in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Spurs earned nines tries from the line over that same span. That kind of difference is one that can keep a team in it, or even decide a game that comes down to a bucket like Game 2 did.

Then there's the actual way things transpired on the court. This shows up in the little details, like New York's phantom backcourt violation in the first half and San Antonio big man Luke Kornet kicking a loose ball to help him get possession late in the game that went uncalled.

It also shows up in the bigger moments, like when Karl-Anthony Towns was called for an offensive foul late in the contest -- his fourth of the night, too -- despite being grabbed by the Spurs' Stephon Castle.

Or when Mitchell Robinson got tagged with a technical foul for a dust-up with Wembanyama, where in most cases it'd either be both players getting techs or simply no call.

There was also De'Aaron Fox being allowed to get in Jalen Brunson's face down the stretch, Brunson being called for a foul for touching Castle's hair on a closeout, and Josh Hart getting a flagrant 1 for his trip in the first half when it could've been made a lesser foul.

No matter where you look, the Knicks were at a disadvantage. Their lapses, like Robinson and Hart, were given the harshest punishments refs could conceivably hand out under those circumstances. The officials also let the Spurs get physical, yet that freedom wasn't always allowed to the same extent for New York.

It's one thing if there's a call or two that are hard to swallow. But this was an entire game where the refs again had a huge influence and created real obstacles for the Knicks. It helped San Antonio create easier points when its offense struggled, and it's clear New York was, at times, afraid to be as intense as it could be on defense, which again helped the Spurs.

Foul trouble for major players was even more of an issue in Game 2 as well. KAT and Josh Hart both racked up five fouls, with the latter playing just 18 minutes on Friday in large part because of this. OG Anunoby had four fouls of his own, which would've been problematic (along with Towns') if this clash went to OT. But for San Antonio, Castle was the only player with more than three fouls.

It's unfathomable for two teams' whistle to feel so different on the absolute biggest stage in the sport, but that's where the Knicks are two games in. Thankfully, they've been able to overcome it thus far thanks to their impeccable leadership and collection of pure talent.

While it seems as though this ref treatment won't prevent them from capturing the title, it is going to make securing the final two wins they need a true battle.

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Isaiah De Los Santos
ISAIAH DE LOS SANTOS

Isaiah De Los Santos has been in sports media for 10 years, most recently joining OnSI to cover the New York Knicks, New York Jets and New York Yankees. Previous stops for Isaiah include FanSided, SB Nation and SLAM.