Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers came down to the wire. Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey were exchanging buckets the whole game. Unfortunately for avid fans of the team from New York, they could not close out at home. It boiled down to a big play that swung the momentum heading into the clutch and, effectively, overtime too. But, were there really no errors in officiating in those last two minutes? The answer is a very clear yes.
A big missed call in Knicks vs. 76ers
The NBA has released its last two-minute report on Game 5 between the Knicks and 76ers. Apparently, Tyrese Maxey traveled before getting fouled on his four-point play attempt. This should have been called a turnover against the 76ers and the ball would have been given to the Knicks with 25.4 seconds on the game clock.
The reason why this was so particularly crucial is because the Knicks were up by six points at this point in the NBA Playoffs matchup. They could have potentially sealed the game with a bucket had they were given the possession. Instead, it became a two-point game after Tyrese Maxey sank the shot from far out and the free throw that came after.
Josh Hart did get fouled twice with an opportunity to ice the game. But, he only sank three out of the four opportunities given to him at the charity stripe. The 76ers would then again see Maxey pull up from 34 feet out to tie the game at 97 apiece. Another opportunity to win the game was presented to the Knicks after this. Jalen Brunson caught the ball and drove for a floater from 10 feet. But, Nicolas Batum swatted that ball like his life depended on it as the buzzer marked the end of regulation.
Could this have swung the game very differently?
The Knicks get mopped in the clutch
Obviously, the last two-minute report is not going to change much. It might make some Knicks fans livid but they will still have to stomach the fact that this NBA Playoffs series is heading to a sixth game. However, there were some issues in Game 5 that they may want to look at and change in the succeeding matchups. This is largely so that the 76ers would not get into a position to close the curtains on them anymore.
The biggest glaring problem is their execution on the perimeter. This Knicks squad runs a guard-heavy rotation which means shots are likely going to come from behind the three-point arc a lot. However, the schemes ran were a bit sloppy in execution. It was easy to go over screens and contest or go under them because the shooter was out of rhythm. The result? Well, the Knicks shot a horrid 27.8% from outside which is not very desirable.
Another aspect of the game they can improve on is battling out under the glass. The Knicks only have 40 rebounds in a game where they should be closing their opponents out. This was dwarfed by the fact that the 76ers grabbed 46 of them.
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