Rick Carlisle Hints At Major Frustration With the NBA Officials After OKC Loss

On Thursday night, we saw a major NBA Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, and it's safe to say that it was a fantastic contest between two of the league's best teams. The game would go to double overtime before the Thunder would eventually come away winners, 141–135, on the back of a historic performance from reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Unsurprisingly, though, the game wasn't without controversy, as SGA shot 26 free throws in the game, something that clearly frustrated the fans watching. It wasn't just the fans, however, as Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle was asked about the officials after the game, and while he hinted at frustration, he wasn't going to talk about the officials, given that he may get punished.

"I'm not talking about the refs. If I talk about the refs, I'll be fined an exorbitant amount of money."

Clearly, it's not just the fans that find SGA’s game frustrating, as opposing teams and coaches clearly can't stop it, and with the style of play, the officials are the only ones that can stop his foul-baiting, but as of right now, they've shown no desire to do just that.

Ultimately, there's plenty to be frustrated about following the Pacers’ loss, as they now sit at 0–1 early in the season, but Carlisle made the right decision here to not call out the officials, even if they made many questionable calls during the Pacers’ loss.