Knicks know they have to stop whining to refs in massive Game 3 vs. Pistons

DETROIT — The complaining needs to stop.That was the message ahead of Thursday’s Game 3 from Josh Hart, who singled out himself and Karl-Anthony Towns as the Knicks players who should cut out their in-game berating over calls.“It definitely takes you off your game.I think controlling it, that just comes from within, kind of focusing on controlling what you can control,” Hart said.

“We can’t control what they’re calling.We can’t control getting our first free throws with what, 17 seconds on the clock? We can’t control those kind of things.

We can just control how we respond to it.Last game I responded terribly.

I have to make sure I fix that, KAT fixes that, and move on from it.”Controversial officiating was a big story of Monday’s Game 2 against Pistons because the Knicks didn’t attempt a free throw until the final seconds of the first half.They ended the 100-94 defeat with 19 free throw attempts, compared to Detroit’s 34.Several Knicks — but especially Hart, Towns, Jalen Brunson and Tom Thibodeau — spent a solid portion of the evening in animated verbal protest of the officiating, a tactic that rarely ever works toward changing a call but can redirect a players’ focus from winning games.“We’ve had a lack of focus when it comes to that,” Brunson said.“We’ve gotta let them do their job and we’ve gotta do ours.”Thibodeau railed on the referees in his Game 2 postgame interview, saying, “If [Cade] 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.” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff countered with the series free-throw disparity between Brunson (10.5 per game heading into Thursday) and Cunningham (8.5).Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.Regardless of the whistles, New York’s offense sputtered in Game 2.The bal...