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Two Referees Were Looking Right at James Harden as He Was Fouled on Last-Second Shot
The 76ers beat the Clippers at home on Monday night thanks to 39 points from Tyrese Maxey and a fairly egregious missed call on James Harden's potential go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds of the game.
With Philadelphia leading 110-108 late in the fourth quarter Harden took a step-back three that was contested by Quentin Grimes. It's clear that Grimes hit Harden in the elbow before he shot the ball. Then as Harden landed he came down on one of Grimes's feet.
There was definitely one foul on the play. Maybe two.
Expect to see this non-call on the Last 2-Minute Report for Clippers-Sixers.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 18, 2025
Quentin Grimes clearly fouls James Harden on his go-ahead 3-pointer and the officials swallow their whistles. pic.twitter.com/5G32T6jap3
One official was right next to the play. Another was near the baseline looking in Harden's direction. Neither blew a whistle. Harden eventually came up with the ball again in the corner and missed another shot as time ran out.
After the game Quentin Grimes broke down the play with a smile on his face saying, "I tried to make it as tough as possible. I might have fouled him. Might of not, but that's not my call so I'm getting out of there with a win."
Quentin Grimes on James Harden's potential game-winning 3-point attempt:
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) November 18, 2025
"Everybody knows where the ball is going, so I tried to make it as tough as possible. I might have fouled him, might have not, but that's not my call." pic.twitter.com/HnqLQkD2JI
With the loss the Clippers fell to 4-10 on the season and have now lost eight of their last nine games. Their healthy superstar not getting calls in this situation certainly isn't going to help turn the season around.
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Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.