The Philadelphia 76ers’ frustrations with the officiating in their series against the New York Knicks have reached a boiling point. The team plans to file a grievance related to the officiating during their two losses in New York, according to a team spokesman.
The 76ers lost both games by narrow margins, with the Knicks rallying in the final 30 seconds to win Game 2 on Monday night. The game ended on a controversial play in which Tyrese Maxey was unable to cleanly catch an inbounds pass and the Knicks stole the ball and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left.
Maxey and 76ers coach Nick Nurse both believed Maxey was fouled on the play and that the team had attempted to call a timeout before the Knicks got the ball. Joel Embiid was more blunt in his assessment of the officiating, saying it had been “unacceptable”.
The 76ers’ grievance is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the officiating in the NBA playoffs. The Knicks themselves 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 have since begun 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.
It remains to be seen whether the 76ers’ grievance will have any impact on the outcome of the series or the NBA’s officiating policies. However, it is clear that the issue of officiating is a major concern for teams and fans alike.
