It’s Time for the Pacers to Quit Shifting the Blame to the Refs

It is time for the Indiana Pacers to quit complaining about the officiating and take responsibility.

After the Indiana Pacers narrow overtime loss against the Chicago Bulls, social media began to be littered with claims of poor officiating. That is something that is not all that new – and in all honesty it is something that has gotten worse as social media continues to thrive.

Let’s face it, everyone looks through their Pacers fan (or insert your favorite team here) glasses when they analyze a game. Was Paul George fouled by Jimmy Butler on the final play?

The NBA’s answer was definitive, as it said in its post-game officiating report that Butler should have in fact been called for a foul. A few days later, as the Pacers let the Miami Heat climb back from an 18-point deficit and eventually win in overtime, the league also admitted that there was a major, late-game call that went against the Pacers.

Obviously, the Pacers got the short end of the stick in both of these games, but let’s look at a few other things before we get hysterical about a bias against the team from Indiana.

First off, you never want to place the fate of your team in the hands of an officiating crew. How often do officials actually call something on the last play versus swallowing their whistle? More often than not they decide to let the play happen and not interfere. Isn’t that what you would prefer?

If you were to wander onto a Pacers fan’s Twitter feed you would see many that claim the “refs were terrible” or “they are out to get the Pacers.” Get out of here with that ludicrous conspiracy theorist approach. Really? What benefit do the officials have of heavily favoring one team over another? Plus, let’s not forget that the long-held belief is that the home team gets the benefit of the doubt on close calls (which Chicago was).

Here’s the thing: The Indiana Pacers are getting a little too caught up on how the officials do their jobs. Paul George has already been fined $35,000 for prior comments about NBA officials. Frank Vogel went straight up Incredible Hulk and may have even turned a few shades of green after the buzzer against the Bulls. Despite his outburst, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut after the game when communicating with the media.

Maybe it is the fact that the Pacers are beginning to have a repertoire of whining because it really takes away from their visual appeal and blue-collar approach. Many fans have developed a plethora of distaste for the Los Angeles Clippers and the reason why? They whine and complain about every call that goes against them. This has helped contribute to the general dislike of not only that franchise but their coach (Doc Rivers) and point guard Chris Paul. Now the Pacers have not reached that point yet — but they are looking over the precipice of permanent complainer status, and they only thing holding them back may be their lack of national TV exposure.

The Pacers just need to stop complaining and play ball. I know that sounds cliché, but it is the truth. They have shown that they can compete in the East and they need to rise above the immature excuses. I am not saying that Frank Vogel or players need to stop riding the officials in-game because realistically that is a huge part of the NBA today. But quit blaming the officials every time you lose. The fact of the matter is that Indiana had a 3-point lead with less than a minute to go against the Bulls and choked. The game should have never have gotten to that point – regardless of a missed call. Are you honestly going to say that the Pacers did not benefit from a miscall that entire game?

I severely doubt the public bashing of officials makes them want to be in your corner the next time out. If anything, they probably get extremely annoyed, which makes them less prone to make a call in your favor. Paul George’s cursing out of officials helps nothing and accomplishes nothing other than a hefty fine. After the loss against the Bulls, George continued to fume.

Paul George is tied for fifth in the NBA in technical fouls with six and maybe he is justified in being upset. The NBA did issue a statement claiming he was fouled, but what’s the solution? At the end of the day the Pacers had a 7-point lead in the fourth quarter and should have closed Chicago out. The maturity of this team needs to improve as they continue to grow.

Instead of always talking about the injustices inflicted by the officials, maybe the team should focus on improving and growth in their weak areas.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

• 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
• Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
• 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
• 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
• Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?

It could just be a “rub some dirt on it” approach that I am looking for and a toughness that is not dependent upon the neutral trio out on the court every game.

Maybe next time do not put yourself in a position to leave your fate in the hands of a third-party and close out a game. Focus on how to put yourself in a better position to win versus looking for a scapegoat for your failure.