Whiny Knicks don't inspire confidence after Game 2 loss

The Pistons have dominated the Knicks in seven of the eight quarters of their first-round series thus far. 

If not for New York's improbable 21-0 run in the fourth quarter in Game 1, the Pistons would have taken a 2-0 lead Monday when they completed a 100-94 victory.

Despite being utterly outclassed, the Knicks seem to be in denial mode. After the Game 2 defeat, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau blamed the officials for the notable discrepancy in free throws — the Pistons attempted 15 more free throws than the Knicks. 

"Obviously, huge discrepancy in free throws. Huge. I gotta take a look at that, alright?" Thibodeau said, via New York Post's Madeline Kenney. "So ... I don't understand how on one side you talk about direct line drives, the guys get fouled and it's not being called, right? And look, I really don't give a crap how they call the game as long as it's consistent on both sides. So [Cade] 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."

For the record, Cade Cunningham attempted only one more free throw than Jalen Brunson, rendering Thibs' comments somewhat dishonest. 

No excuses for getting out-hustled

It's also whiny of the Knicks coach to blame officiating. The Pistons were rewarded for playing a more physical brand of basketball. They drove to the rim a lot more, specifically targeting Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on switches, and imposing their will on the glass. To that end, they out-rebounded the Knicks, 48-34, and out-hustled the home team with several putbacks and second-chance points in key moments. 

The Knicks don't inspire confidence with the blame game. They must look within and assess why they're unable to match Detroit's energy and physicality. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins concurs with that assessment.

"Can all these coaches quit crying about fouls? It's the playoffs," Perkins told "SC with SVP" after Monday's games. "It's going to be physical. Tom Thibodeau, if you didn't know, the playoffs have started. If you didn't know, the Pistons are a physical team. This is how they play, so tell your team to get ready."

The Knicks are in danger of going down 2-1 when the series shifts to Detroit on Thursday.