Despite trailing by five points in the final minute of Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks hit three straight 3-pointers and scored eight unanswered points overall to take a 2-0 lead in the series with a 104-game win. 101. But the comeback victory didn’t come without controversy; The 76ers are reportedly expected to file a complaint with the NBA over the officiating of the game, particularly in the final minute. And ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, one of the most vocal Knicks fans on television, seems to think they might have a good reason for that.
Smith, who was sitting courtside for Game 2, claims the Knicks clearly fouled the 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, resulting in a turnover that led to Donte DiVincenzo’s go-ahead three-pointer with 13.1 seconds left.
“I saw Tyrese Maxey get attacked, if I’m being totally honest,” Smith said. “He was fouled at least two or three times. There’s no reason in the world why that call shouldn’t have been made. It didn’t come to fruition, unfortunately for the Sixers. If you’re a New York Knick fan, that’s no shame. Donte DiVincenzo had another opportunity. He took advantage of it. … It was a beautiful, beautiful evening, to put it mildly, and a game.”