Getty Donte DiVincenzo #0 reacts with Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the New York Knicks after making a go-ahead three-point shot.
The Last 2 Minute Report revealed the New York Knicks caught a lucky break in their miraculous 104-101 comeback win in Game 2 on April 22.
The NBA ruled that there were four incorrect non-calls, three of them against the Knicks. They said they fouled Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey twice in the controversial play which led to their miraculous 104-101 comeback win in Game 2.
According to the Last 2 Minute report, fouls should have been called on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart during a wild sequence that led to Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3-pointer for the Knicks. It also backed up Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s claim that he called for a timeout which referees did not see.
The NBA said Brunson grabbed Maxey’s jersey in the inbound play. After the refs missed that, Hart bumped into Maxey which caused the Sixers guard to lose his balance.
“It was crazy, it was hectic, but at that point we had nothing to lose,” Hart told reporters. “Got to get as physical as we can and it panned out.”
The Knicks got away with it and Sixers star Joel Embiid was livid.
“Unacceptable,” Embiid told reporters after the loss. “Tyrese got fouled a couple of times, we just had the same thing happen against Miami with Tyler Herro. That’s just unacceptable to put us in this situation. That’s [expletive] unacceptable to lose a game like this, especially in the playoffs.”
Sixers File Complaint
Nurse was also furious as the referees repeatedly ignored his timeout before the Knicks stole the ball from Maxey.
“I called a timeout, the referee looked right at me, ignored me,” Nurse told reporters. “It went into Tyrese, I called timeout again, and then the melee started. I guess I got to run out onto the floor and do something to get his attention. Needed a timeout there to advance it, would have been good, couldn’t get it.”
The Sixers filed a grievance with the NBA with a long list of complaints about the officiating of the first two games of the series.
The other two incorrect non-calls were a defensive 3-second against Knicks forward OG Anunnoby in the final 1:14 and an Embiid foul on DiVincenzo with 34.7 seconds left.
Anunoby’s defensive 3-second violation came before Maxey’s go-ahead 3-pointer while Embiid’s foul on DiVincenzo was before Brunson’s 3-pointer that ignited the Knicks’ 8-0 windup.
Magic Johnson Hails Isaiah Hartenstein as Game 2 Hero
Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson praised Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein for his heroics in the Knicks’ stunning Game 2 win.
“Isaiah Hartenstein is the hero of the Knicks with his 14-point, 8-rebound performance,” Johnson tweeted after the Knicks’ 104-101 victory on April 22. “He had both the game-winning offensive rebound that led to DiVincenzo’s game-winning 3 AND the block on Tyrese Maxey that secured the victory! What a wild, fun, and exciting playoff game!!”
Hartenstein rebounded from his poor play in Game 1 which forced coach Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to go with Mitchell Robinson to finish the game.
This time, Hartenstein was more assertive on the offensive end and battled Embiid toe-to-toe.