Were Sixers right? NBA acknowledges officiating errors in Knicks’ win

The NBA in its Last Two-Minute Report Tuesday acknowledged officiating errors at the end of the New York Knicks’ 104-101 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers Monday in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Much focus was on Philadelphia’s ability to in-bound the basketball after the Knicks cut Philadelphia’s lead to 101-99 on Jalen Brunson’s 3-pointer with 27.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The 76ers committed a turnover on the in-bounds which led to Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3-pointer.

The NBA said in its report that Brunson should’ve been called for a foul on the in-bounds pass to Tyrese Maxey with 27 seconds remaining because Brunson “pulls Maxey’s jersey away from his body, which affects Maxey’s ability to secure the pass.”

As that in-bounds play continued, the league also said Josh Hart should’ve been called for a foul on Maxey with 24.9 seconds to go because Hart “steps forward into Maxey’s space and initiates lower body contact that causes Maxey to lose his balance and fall to the floor.”

Just before that inbounds pass at 27.2 seconds, Maxey made marginal contact with his hands on Hart, and the NBA concluded the refs made the right by decision by not calling a fault on Maxey. During this sequence, Sixers coach Nick Nurse tried to call a timeout but the NBA said the timeout was “ neither recognized nor granted by the officials.’

As the play continued, Maxey lost control of the ball, and the league said Hart cleanly stole the ball and not calling foul was the correct no-call at 23.7 seconds. Nurse again tried to call a timeout but the request is “neither recognized nor granted by the officials; the timeout request is simultaneous to Hart making contact with the ball and PHI not having possession,” according to the league.

There were no other incorrect or incorrect no-calls the remainder of the game.

Following the game, the Sixers said they planned to file a grievance.