Knicks coach makes feelings clear on Jalen Brunson’s foul calls after tense Game 2 loss

Jalen Brunson had 11 free throw attempts on Monday, but New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was unhappy about the calls. Thibodeau lamented the “huge discrepancy” in three throws, a 34-19 advantage for the Detroit Pistons in Game 2. After a tense 100-94 loss to the Pistons, Thibodeu noted the difference in free throw shots as a key factor.

Thibodeau had this to say about the officiating after the Knicks lost at home in Game 2:

“Look, I really don’t give a crap how they call the game as long as it’s consistent on both sides.

"If Cunningham's driving and there's marginal contact and he's getting to the line, then Jalen [Brunson] deserves to be getting to the line. It's really that simple.”

Cade Cunningham finished 10-for-12 from the free-throw line, while Jalen Brunson went 9-for-11. The disparity in attempts from that range was because of the way the Detroit Pistons played. Detroit attacked the paint more and showed more energy and hustle in battling for rebounds.

The Pistons’ 48-34 edge in rebounds, including 12-7 in the offensive glass, was another key difference. Detroit had more possessions inside the paint where they were also more active.

Detroit Pistons big man Jalen Duren went 6-for-6 while Karl-Anthony Towns, who was content to stay outside, finished 0-for-0. New York’s bench did not have one free throw attempt, while Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley combined to make 9-for-11 for Detroit.

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson roughly had the same free-throw attempts. The discrepancy was caused by the Pistons’ aggressive inside game, a contrast to the Knicks’ preference to stay outside.

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Jalen Brunson had more free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter than Cade Cunningham

Jalen Brunson was most aggressive in the fourth quarter. By forcing the issue on multiple occasions, the point guard earned seven trips to the free-throw line and made six. Brunson’s lone miss happened with 1:50 to go while the New York Knicks trailed 94-92. The point guard, who stood behind the 3-point line, jumped into Tobias Harris to fish the three foul shots.

Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham made all four free throw attempts he took in the same stretch. While the Knicks kept the point guard from making a field goal, the Pistons got a lift from Dennis Schroder, who made clutch shots.

Game 3 will be in Detroit, where the Pistons could be even more aggressive than Games 1 and 2 combined. The free-throw battle, which Tom Thibodeau emphasized, will likely become another key statistic to watch out for.