Sixers’ Nick Nurse Sounds Off on Final Sequence in Game 2 vs. Knicks

Nick Nurse reacted to the final critical sequence of the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 2 loss against the New York Knicks.

Mar 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts | Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers nearly had Game 2 against the New York Knicks in the bag. After battling back and forth down the stretch and outscoring New York in the fourth quarter after trailing 79-74 before entering the final 12 minutes of play, the Sixers had a five-point cushion with under one minute left of play.

Within 20 seconds, the Sixers found themselves trailing with 13 seconds left to go. Monday’s Game 2 featured perhaps the most bizarre end-of-game sequence the NBA Playoffs have seen so far.

With 27 seconds left to go, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson nailed a three to cut the lead down to one possession. Then, the Sixers found themselves in a jam while inbounding the ball, leaving Tyrese Maxey to cough up the ball for a turnover.

The Knicks fired off a three-pointer, which was unsuccessful. A Sixers rebound would’ve ended New York’s chances of tying or taking a lead there, but the Knicks’ big man Isaiah Hartenstein came down with the board, offering his team another chance to put points on the board.

And the Knicks did. With a Donte DiVincenzo three, the Sixers found themselves trailing by one point. After the game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse sounded off on the critical sequence, claiming he took a timeout, which was not called by the officiating crew.

“Obviously, they score, we take a look at getting it in quick, we don’t get it in quick, I call timeout, the referee looked right at me, ignored me,” Nurse explained to reporters after the game. “[The ball] went to Tyrese, I called timeout again, then the melee started. I mean, I don’t know. I guess I gotta run onto the floor or do something to make sure and get his attention, but we needed a timeout there to advance it. That would’ve been good, but couldn’t get it.”

Nurse noted that he re-watched the play to confirm he called a timeout. As a result of the Sixers not landing a stoppage there, they are expected to take action. Either way, it won’t change the results of the matchup.

The Sixers had a final opportunity to respond to the Knicks’ sudden one-point advantage. With a play drawn up for Tyrese Maxey to attack with a signature layup, the Sixers’ All-Star found his shot blocked, which led the Sixers to desperately foul the Knicks in hopes of getting another final possession. When they did, an unsuccessful three by Joel Embiid wrapped the game up with a 104-101 score in the Knicks’ favor.

With that loss, the Sixers dropped to 0-2 in the first round. They’ll get two days off before returning home for Game 3 on Thursday.