The exciting end of Game 5 between the Knicks vs. 76ers was sadly enveloped by another officiating controversy, which has the NBA admitting to detrimental mistakes in marking the climax. In addition to Tyrese Maxey’s heroics that saw him drag his team to overtime and the Sixers’ 112-106 victory, it is interestingly highlighted that one of the most crucial plays from his side should not have been recognized by the league.
Game 5’s last one-minute report by the NBA highlighted that Shake Maxey’s 4-point play 25 seconds before the game ended had cost money due to the travelling violation. What the report stated was that in the particular play, Maxey moved his pivot foot already before the foul, and as a result, this action declared the down unsuccessful.
The off-ball foul was not observed in the game played, but the review later exposed Maxey’s pivot foot movement when he pulled in Robinson, the Knicks centre. This game within the game didn’t only reduce the gap but also made Maxey make his game-tying shot from a distance above the rim. Maxey recorded a season-high six points and nine assists, including seven three-pointers, and all of them were on target.
On top of that, when ruling out the ball Hart saved in overtime, the referees missed the call once again. The Last Two-Minutes Report argued that Hart did not collapse out of court, which may have been the turning point in the game.
This incident, however, links with other officiating controversies in the NBA and was mostly brought to the forefront by the NBA’s admission of erring on the clock when the Knicks’ comeback in Game 2 was a breakthrough. This entailed overlooking the foul on Seveno and the wrong time call by the 76ers coach, Nick Nurse.
Game 2 had officiating issues that provoked the Philadelphia fans, while Knicks vs. 76ers Game 5, even with old referee calls, was not going to end the season for the Sixers. With the two teams playing Game 6 this Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center, everybody is working and waiting for a pivotal 48-hour period, when attention will shift to the officials, who are expected to be at their best in this exciting and thrilling series.
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