“I’ve been kissed harder” - Reggie Miller calls out refs reviewing Flagrant foul after Knicks guard takes Pascal Siakam out
Miles McBride committed a foul against Pascal Siakam late in the third quarter of Game 5 between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Following a missed Delon Wright attempt, the Pacers raced to the other end for a fastbreak attack. Obi Toppin set up Siakam for a layup before McBride held him back, prompting the referees to review for a flagrant foul.
Reggie Miller, who covered the game for TNT, reacted to the referees’ decision to check for a flagrant foul.
“Come on, now. I’ve been kissed harder than that," Miller said. "These are the playoffs now. These officials know that. … This will set playoff basketball back if they deem this a Flagrant 1.”
After a lengthy review, crew chief Zach Zarba announced that Miles McBride did not have a “wind up” and a “follow through.” Thus, the common foul, which was the initial call, stood.
Pascal Siakam returned to make the first free throw. He missed the second one, but Jarace Walker grabbed the offensive rebound. Siakam gave Bennedict Mathurin a pass that resulted in an and-1 play. Three plays later, Ben Sheppard sank a 24-footer to breathe life into the Pacers.
The surge late in the third quarter helped erase a 22-point lead, allowing the Pacers to trail 90-73 entering the fourth frame. New York eventually overcame Indiana 111-94 on the night.
Pacers need Pascal Siakam to play well to beat Knicks
How Pascal Siakam performs has been one of the Indiana Pacers’ barometers for success in the Eastern Conference finals. In Game 1, Siakam struggled, finishing the series opener with 17 points behind 7-for-16 shooting. Although the Cameroonian didn’t have a big impact, Aaron Nesmith took over the scoring slack.
Nesmith dropped 30 points, including 18 in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, to help force overtime. T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin also stepped up to make up for Siakam’s off night.
In Games 2 and 4, when the Pacers dominated the Knicks, Pascal Siakam averaged 34.5 points. In Games 3 and 5 losses, the former All-Star averaged 16.5 PPG.
Siakam has a chance to redeem himself in Game 6 on Saturday. Following his "us against the world" comments after Game 5, he showed confidence in the Pacers' ability to bounce back and close the series.