Kofi Inkoom
The Philadelphia 76ers lost their 5-point lead in the final 28 seconds, ultimately falling to the New York Knicks in a closely contested game at MSG during game 2 of the first round playoff series.
Despite weathering a tough first half, the Knicks rallied after halftime for a thrilling 104-101 victory. Postgame, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse blamed refereeing bias for their loss, citing instances where his timeout calls were ignored.
“I called timeout. The referee looked right at me, and ignored me. Tyrese Maxey got the ball. I called timeout again, he ignored me again. Then the melee started.” – Nick Nurse said.
New York gained its first lead in the third quarter and extended it to eight points early in the fourth, but the 76ers briefly regained control with a 101-96 advantage in the final minute.
However, chaos ensued, with Jalen Brunson’s 3-pointer cutting the lead to 101-99. Despite having possession with a two-point lead and 27 seconds left, the 76ers struggled to inbound the ball, leading to a turnover and a crucial 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo.
The Knicks ultimately secured the win as Joel Embiid’s last-second 3-pointer missed. Despite strong performances from Maxey and Embiid, the victory put the Knicks up 2-0 in the series heading into Philadelphia.
Even though his side trails 0-2 in the series, Joel Embiid still believes his team can turn things around and come out on top. Hopefully Sixers in 6/7.
“We should be 2-0. We’re good. We’re gonna win this series. We know we gotta fix. We did a better job today so we’re gonna fix it, but we’re the better team.” Embiid told reporters.