The Philadelphia 76ers looked like they had Game 2 of their first-round series against the New York Knicks wrapped up when they led 101-96 with roughly 47 seconds remaining.
What followed is one of the most chaotic sequences in recent history: a made 3-pointer by Jalen Brunson, a tipped inbound pass leading to a scramble for the ball, Knicks possession, and then, a 3-pointer by Quentin Grimes that gave the Knicks a lead they would not surrender the rest of the way.
It was the sort of stretch that was almost too crazy to be possible.
Well, according to the Last Two Minutes Report, it shouldn’t have been.
Officials made a few mistakes during the inbound sequence that gave New York the possession it needed to take the lead.
Here is a visual of what happened during that play:
[Image of the inbound play]
While these were the most critical mistakes made in the final two minutes, they weren’t the only ones.
There were two more misses, one that benefitted each team.
While the 76ers will not file an official protest of Monday’s result, they will file a complaint to the league over the officiating in Games 1 and 2, a team spokesman told John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
In addition to the missed calls during Game 2, last two minutes report data showed that Philadelphia was the most disadvantaged team in the NBA this season when it came to officiating late in close games.
Daryl Morey, the team’s president, notably filed a similar complaint during the 2019 postseason when his Houston Rockets were playing the Golden State Warriors.
Perhaps such a complaint will make officials more vigilant in the future.
But Game 2 is officially in the past.
The 76ers trail the series 2-0 and now must win four out of five to keep their season alive.
After two tough losses in New York, their goal will have to be winning their next two home games convincingly enough for officiating to become a non-factor.
