The NBA confirmed the 76ers’ gripes that Tyrese Maxey was a victim of a New York mugging during the Knicks’ frantic late-game comeback Monday night, while also concurring with other complaints they made about timeouts following Game 2.
According to the league’s Last Two Minute (L2M) report, both Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson should have been whistled for fouls on Maxey during the scramble leading up to Donte DiVincenzo’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 13.0 seconds remaining in the Knicks’ Game 2 victory.
The report states that with 27.0 seconds to go — just after Brunson’s 3-pointer had brought the Knicks within two — “Brunson (NYK) pulls Maxey’s (PHI) jersey away from his body, which affects Maxey’s ability to secure the pass.”
Then, with 24.9 seconds left — following the inbounds pass by Kyle Lowry — “Hart (NYK) steps forward into Maxey’s (PHI) space and initiates lower body contact that causes Maxey to lose his balance and fall to the floor.”
The L2M also states that the officials were correct in not calling a foul on Maxey against Hart ahead of the inbounds pass because Maxey “brings his hands towards Hart … and marginal contact occurs as Maxey releases away from Hart during the inbound.”
That description also includes a notation that acknowledges that Sixers coach Nick Nurse attempted to call a timeout during the play that “is neither recognized nor granted by the officials.”
One non-call earlier in the final minute of action was ruled to have been missed in the Knicks’ favor.
With 34.7 seconds to go, Embiid extended his left hand “forward and into DiVincenzo’s head/face as he begins his dribble, and the contact affects his SQBR (speed, quickness, balance, rhythm).”
Following Hart’s steal from Maxey, however, it was determined that Nurse’s attempts to get a timeout at that juncture should not have been granted because it was “simultaneous to Hart making contact with the ball and PHI not having possession.”
Nurse, Embiid and the Sixers were incredulous over the officiating calls after the game, with the team indicating it would file an official grievance with the league about the way the first two games of the first-round series have been called.
“Well, the first thing is obviously … they score, we take a look at getting it in quick. You don’t get in quick. I call timeout. The referee looked right at me, ignored me,” Nurse said. “Looking for Tyrese, I call timeout again.
“Then the whole melee started and yeah. I mean, I guess I’ve got to run out onto the floor or do something to make sure to get his attention. But I needed a timeout there to advance it, it would’ve been good, but couldn’t get it.”
Embiid also took exception with the officiating afterward, saying that Maxey “did his job, so that’s on the league, that’s on the NBA, that’s on the freaking referees.
“I hate to put the game on them, but I’m sure the two-minute report is going to come out and we’re going to see what happened,” he added. “That’s unacceptable.”
Notably, for each game of the series, the Knicks have included intel on that night’s officials — dubbed a “referee breakdown” — in their game notes, detailing each crew’s missed calls and tendencies.
Compiled by the Knicks’ analytics staff, the sheets featured such information as each ref’s rate of total foul calls compared to his/her rate of calls made against the Knicks.
Games 3 and 4 are Thursday and Sunday, respectively, in Philadelphia.
