Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles against Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 22, 2024 in New York City. AFP
The Sixers lost both games in New York, with the Knicks rallying in the final 30 seconds for a 104-101 victory on Monday night.
The Knicks got the go-ahead 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo with 13 seconds left, a possession that started when they stole the ball from Tyrese Maxey. Maxey was unable to cleanly catch the inbounds pass while swarmed by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart and fell to the ground, with Hart then ripping the ball away from him.
Joel Embiid said Maxey was fouled, and also that coach Nick Nurse and some players had attempted to call timeout before the Knicks got the ball. The All-Star center used an expletive in saying the officiating had been unacceptable.
The Knicks protested their Feb. 12 loss in Houston after referees determined after the game that a foul on Brunson that set up the winning free throws shouldn’t have been called. The NBA denied the protest, saying a referee error was not grounds to overturn a result.
The Knicks began listing breakdowns of that night’s officials in their game notes during the playoffs, listing their record with the officials along with statistics detailing the frequency of violations they call and how often their calls are challenged.
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