It didn’t add up to Tom Thibodeau.
His Knicks attempted 19 free throws in Monday night’s 100-94 loss to the Pistons in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, compared to Detroit’s 34.
The head coach described the discrepancy as “huge.”
“I don’t understand how on one side, you talk about direct line drives, the guy’s getting fouled and it’s not getting called,” Thibodeau said.
The Pistons had already attempted 14 free throws by the time Jalen Brunson shot the Knicks’ first with 17.4 seconds left before halftime.
Late in that second quarter, a sellout Madison Square Garden crowd unleashed a booming “Ref you suck!” chant after Josh Hart was called for a borderline foul against a driving Cade Cunningham.
“I really don’t give a crap how they call the game as long as it’s consistent on both sides,” Thibodeau said. “If Cunningham’s driving and there’s marginal contact and he’s getting to the line, then Jalen deserves to be getting to the line.”
The Knicks trailed, 55-49, after a first half in which the refs allowed the Pistons to play up to their hyper-physical reputation.
Brunson ultimately attempted 11 free throws — and made nine — but was one of only three Knicks to make it to the charity stripe.
Cunningham went 11-of-12 on free throws and was one of six Pistons to go to the line.
“We’ve got to control what we can control,” Brunson said.
“Regardless if fouls are being called or not called, we’ve got to adjust, and I feel like we did that a little too late into the game. Regardless of how it’s being reffed, you’ve got to adjust and you’ve got to adapt to that and go on from there.”
The Knicks attempted 20.7 free throws per game in the regular season, while their opponents averaged 19.5. Brunson ranked fifth in the NBA with 6.9 attempts per game.
Entering Monday, the Knicks had an all-time record of 14-22 (.389) in games officiated by Ray Acosta, who worked Game 2.
The free-throw battle was much closer in the Knicks’ 123-112 win in Game 1, with Detroit attempting 20 and the Knicks shooting 17.
Through three quarters in Game 2, the Pistons had attempted 22 free throws to the Knicks’ six.
The Knicks made 16 free throws, compared to the Pistons’ 28, giving Detroit a 12-point advantage at the line.
“We’re not worried about that,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, who did not attempt a free throw for only the second time this season.
Added Mikal Bridges, who also didn’t make it to the line, “It doesn’t seem right, 14-2 [in the first half], but I don’t really talk to [the refs].
Hart, who finished 5-of-6 from the line, said he could feel the disparity.
“That was an interesting thing,” Hart said. “Y’all can figure that one out.”
