Jalen Brunson not getting the treatment he deserves in NBA, says Knicks coach after loss to Pistons

The series between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons is now tied 1-1 after Monday’s matchup, where the Pistons pulled off a 100-94 win at Madison Square Garden. Head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed his frustration with the way Jalen Brunson was officiated on the court.

“Obviously, huge discrepancy in free throws. Huge. I gotta take a look at that,” Thibodeau said, referring to what he perceived as inconsistent officiating regarding Brunson in comparison with Cade Cunningham.

“I don’t understand how on one side you talk about direct line drives, the guy’s getting fouled and it’s not being called, right? And look, I really don’t give a (expletive) how they call the game as long as it’s consistent on both sides,” the Knicks coach added, clearly frustrated with the referees’ decisions.

“So, 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, it’s really that simple,” Thibodeau concluded, demanding equal treatment for the New York guard from NBA referees.

New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau

Brunson and Cunningham’s performances

Cade Cunningham was the difference-maker in the Detroit Pistons’ road win at Madison Square Garden. The 23-year-old guard led his team with 33 points and added 12 rebounds. He also shot an efficient 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, as the Pistons finished the game 28-of-34 from the stripe.

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Jalen Brunson was the game’s top scorer with 37 points, along with 3 rebounds and 7 assists. However, he went to the line just 11 times—only one fewer than Cunningham. The key difference was in the team totals: the Knicks attempted just 19 free throws, making 16.

Brunson needs more help from his teammates, especially Towns

Despite Jalen Brunson’s standout performance on Monday night, the Knicks managed only 94 total points, exposing the lack of support from his teammates. Among them was Karl-Anthony Towns, who contributed just 10 points and 6 rebounds in 33 minutes on the court. That absence was even more glaring in the fourth quarter, where he failed to score at all.

Asked about what happened during that crucial stretch, Towns said in an interview shared on X by Knicks Videos: “Just trying to have the game do what it does, just executing what we talked about. Thought we got some great shots, some great looks, especially when we fought back in that game.”