I didn’t turn on Game 2 of the New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia Seventy Sixers playoff series Monday night until the 4th quarter, largely because it felt inappropriate watching the game during a Passover Seder. But like a lot of folks, I actually turned it off with less than a minute to go, I believe switching to House Hunters, or something like that. That’s because the Sixers went up four and heading to the free throw line with only 47 seconds left. So by all accounts, this game was over. The best of seven series would be tied at a game apiece heading to Philadelphia.
Only that’s not what happened. In one of the strangest events to end a basketball game in the Garden since the days of Reggie Miller, the Knicks scored eight straight points to win by three, changing the entire complexion of what felt like a series that could go the distance. Just like that, it seems like we’re now simply buying time until New York heads to the second round and Philly wonders what if. And Monday night will go down in Madison Square Garden lore as one of the most magical evenings it’s long history.
But as you likely know, there’s more to the story. While the Knicks did some remarkable things in those closing seconds, and Philadelphia made some mistakes, there was help. Because on perhaps the game’s most pivotal play, where Philly needed to simply inbound the ball leading by one, there was perhaps not one, not two, but likely three officiating errors that make the Knicks’ magic possible. Because when Kyle Lowry inbounded the ball to Tyrese Maxie, New York’s Josh Hart committed at least one if not two fouls that resulted in a turnover that set the whole rest of the comeback in motion. And not for nothing, it’s likely that play should have never even happened, because Sixers coach Nick Nurse was trying to call a timeout the whole time. Which would have allowed Philly to regroup, inbound, and, most likely, win the game at the free throw line. That is what Sixers fans believe and why they regard last night’s results as about as valid as Putin’s last presidential election.
And they seem to have the support of the NBA, which releases something called a two minute report after games that reviews any calls that should or shouldn’t have been made in the final minutes of a game. I suppose it’s a way of showing what officials got right and what they got wrong. Not that anything comes from it. So I’m not sure exactly how this makes anyone feel any better. Regardless, the report acknowledged that Hart should have been called twice for a foul and that Nurse did in fact call a timeout. So Philly fans, why you still lost the game, you can take solace in knowing you were right. Whatever that’s worth. Also, the refs missed two other calls in the final two minutes, one for each team. Overall, not a championship night for guys in stripes.
Before I continue, I would like to acknowledge that officiating is hard. Really hard. And people at home who think they could do better are both incorrect and delusional. I also think that there may be a layer in hell for people that verbally harass officials in any game where players aren’t getting paid large sums of money. That disclaimer aside, there are a couple of important thoughts here. First, if the NBA knows they get a lot of calls wrong in the final two minutes – and the mere concept of a two minute report suggests this much – then why not do something about it. LeBron James mentioned this after his Lakers lost to Denver this week – why bother having replay technology if you aren’t going to use it well. And for the record, I think LeBron is a crybaby and has gotten calls his whole career.
Second, and perhaps more unsolvable, is this a reminder of how much the entire sporting experience often hinges on a singular moment that might be determined by someone or something that has absolutely nothing to do with athletic prowess and execution. So if the Knicks do in fact win the NBA Title this year – which they won’t – remember that as much we’d like to give all the credit to the team and the fans, there’s at least one official that helped make that possible. That is the nature of sports. And why you should always watch games to the very end.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him at @KeithStrudler
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