The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves down 2-0 in their opening-round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks after a late-game collapse in Game 2. The team’s frustration stems from a series of missed calls by officials that directly impacted the outcome of the game. The NBA’s Last Two Minute report revealed multiple errors by referees that allowed the Knicks to take the lead in the final moments of the game.
Following the game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse and center Joel Embiid expressed anger over the officiating, with Nurse revealing that he attempted to call a timeout that was ignored by the referees. The team plans to file a formal complaint with the league regarding the officiating in the first two games of the series. A laundry list of concerns includes missed calls and a lack of recognition of timeout requests, exacerbating the team’s frustrations.
The missed calls during the chaotic final moments of Game 2 were not the only reason for the Sixers’ loss. Despite jumping out to an early lead, the team failed to maintain their advantage, allowing the Knicks to trim the deficit before halftime. Embiid struggled at the free-throw line, missing four of his first six attempts, while missed opportunities to secure rebounds and prevent three-pointers from the Knicks further contributed to the loss.
While the team has every right to be upset with the officiating, there is little they can do to change the outcome of the game. Filing a complaint is not an official protest, and historically, protests of game outcomes are rarely successful in the NBA. The Sixers would have had to file an official protest by a deadline, which they did not meet. Even if they had, the likelihood of success would have been slim based on previous cases.
Despite the adversity, Embiid remains confident in the team’s ability to turn the series around. Moving forward, the Sixers will need to focus on their performance on the court and avoid letting officiating errors dictate the outcome of games. As they head back home for Game 3, the team will need to regroup and make adjustments to prevent similar late-game collapses in the future.
