The 76ers dropped game two to the Knicks in devastating fashion, as New York hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions with 30 seconds left on the clock to turn a five-point deficit into an improbable victory.
The second triple for the Knicks came after a steal on a Sixers inbounds pass, as Josh Hart grabbed a loose ball from Tyrese Maxey to trigger a wild chain of events that ended with Donte DiVincenzo hitting the game-winning triple.
Many fans clamored that Maxey had been fouled by Jalen Brunson as he tried to receive the inbounds pass, and Joel Embiid made it clear that he agreed.
“There’s a bunch of fouls,” Embiid said of that crucial possession. “Like I said, that’s f---ing unacceptable.”
Nick Nurse explained that he tried to called timeout in the final sequence, but was "ignored" by the refs.
The Sixers as a whole seem to agree, as multiple reports indicate that the team plans to file a grievance with the NBA over the officiating through the first two games of the series, which have both been Knicks victories.
The free throw attempts were nearly dead even in game two, with New York taking 23 foul shots compared to Philly’s 22. Knicks fans countered with the argument that Maxey pushed off of Hart before being grabbed by Brunson on the inbounds pass, but no whistles were blown, and the Knicks walked away with one of their most dramatic postseason victories since Larry Johnson’s 4-point play in the 1999 Eastern Conference Final.