Knicks’ Game 5 Loss Featured Vital Missed Call

The New York Knicks’ latest postseason heartbreaker includes a post-credit scene.

The Last Two Minute Report from Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers featured four instances of incorrect officiating and three such instances went against the Knicks. Philadelphia took a 112-106 decision in Game 5 of the best-of-seven set, helping it stave off elimination and force the series back to Wells Fargo Center for a sixth on Thursday (9 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).

The most vital missed call came on one of the most memorable moments of the postseason: the L2M report revealed that Tyrese Maxey should’ve been whistled for traveling before a successful four-point play that instantly shrank a six-point deficit to two. Such a call would’ve allowed the Knicks to keep the 96-90 lead and give them possession back with under 30 seconds remaining.

“Maxey gathers the ball on his left foot (and) takes two legal steps,” the report declares. “(He) then moves his right foot again just before he is fouled on his shot.”

Maxey was fouled by Mitchell Robinson on the play before sinking his free throw. He would then hit a shot from the cusp of Madison Square Garden’s midcourt logo after Josh Hart split a free throw pair on the other end, one that forced five extra minutes. The instant quartet ignited a 22-10 Philadelphia run that created the final margin.

Other metropolitan misfortunes on the L2M report include a lost extra possession with less than a second left in regulation (as it was ruled a Nicolas Batum block of Jalen Brunson’s would-be winner went out of bounds with 0.4 remaining) and that Hart was inbounds while saving a loose ball from going out during the final minute of overtime. In the latter instance, the Knicks would’ve had the ball with about 41 seconds left on the game clock, 14 on the shot clock, and dealing with a 108-106 deficit.

The L2M report also found one missed incident in the Sixers’ favor, as it mentioned that Brunson should’ve been called for a foul against Batum in the penultimate minute of overtime.

MSG has been the site of several officiating woes: the Knicks’ exhilarating comeback in Game 2 of the series was also rendered taboo by the L2M report of that game, claiming to have missed vital foul calls against the Knicks (and a timeout call from Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse) that would’ve prevented Donte DiVincenzo’s game-winning three-pointer in a 104-101 triumph.

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