Refs admit missed foul on 76ers’ ultimate drive in loss to Clips

PHILADELPHIA — Following the Clippers’ 108-107 win over the 76ers on Wednesday evening, crew chief Kevin Scott mentioned in a pool report that there ought to have been a foul known as on a drive by 76ers ahead Kelly Oubre Jr. on the sport’s ultimate play.

“On the final play on the ground, in actual time the crew interpreted that play because the defender leaping vertically,” Scott mentioned. “Nevertheless, in postgame video assessment we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender [Paul] George, and a foul ought to have been dominated.”

The play capped a chaotic ultimate minute of motion, one which noticed a number of critiques, a wedgie that resulted in a bounce ball, two expensive 76ers turnovers, a pair of and-1s by Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and, finally, Oubre’s drive that resulted in him mendacity on the bottom because the Clippers celebrated a wanted victory in James Harden’s first recreation in South Philly since being traded.

Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse stormed onto the courtroom to dispute the non-call and needed to be restrained by his assistants. Oubre additionally jumped into the combination, pointing at every of the three officers — Scott, JB DeRosa and Brandon Adair — earlier than being pulled away.

“Initially, warmth of the second,” Oubre mentioned when requested about his actions after the sport. “That is an intense basketball recreation, after all. And we’re not excellent. The refs aren’t excellent. I need to apologize for simply dropping my cool, as a result of that is one thing I attempt to work on every day, and attempt to characterize God in one of the best ways I presumably can, and that wasn’t it. So I simply apologize.

“However I noticed Coach Nurse getting riled up and if our coach goes to battle for us and he is going there, then I am proper behind him. However on the finish of the day, it wasn’t cool. So I will take no matter penalties include that and it’s a must to transfer on, however I obtained to be higher in a way.”

For his half, Nurse admitted the 76ers contributed to their very own demise.

“Properly, at 104-101, we had the ball sideline, [and] Tyrese [Maxey] breaks into the backcourt broad open, slips and falls, and so they get an and-1 out of that,” Nurse mentioned. “We come down and rating, they’re full-court press and so they knock one off of Kelly out of bounds.”

However Nurse additionally mentioned some late calls ought to have gone the opposite manner.

“I feel [Oubre] took it in there fairly onerous,” Nurse mentioned. “I checked out it on our computer systems a pair instances. I assumed it was definitely contact, definitely as a lot of the final two or three that obtained known as and-1s on the different finish.

“I assumed it was sufficient contact to name. [But] that is the best way it goes typically.”

For each groups, the tip of the sport took on a desperation befitting of their latest play. Philadelphia is now 13-26 this season when enjoying with out the NBA’s reigning Most Worthwhile Participant, Joel Embiid, who continues to inch nearer to a return from the process he had on his left lateral meniscus seven weeks in the past.

With the loss, the 76ers are actually in eighth place within the Japanese Convention, having missed an opportunity to make up floor on the sixth-place Indiana Pacers, who misplaced to Chicago on Wednesday.

“I maintain saying the identical factor,” Maxey mentioned. “I do know each time we step on the ground making an attempt to win, but when we’re capable of get Large Fella again, we simply have to be stepping in the fitting course. I really feel like whoever we play come playoff time or regardless of the scenario is, I really feel like we’ve an awesome alternative and an awesome likelihood with him on our group.

“So us, the opposite guys, we’ve to be stepping in the fitting course, doing all of the little issues and going on the market and enjoying extraordinarily aggressive on protection and enjoying the fitting manner, so when he does come again, we are able to proceed ahead.”

The Clippers, in the meantime, have been coming off a pair of losses at house to the 76ers and Pacers and starting a four-game East Coast journey Wednesday, having fallen right into a dogfight not only for their present fourth place within the West but in addition solely a few video games forward of the play-in spots.

All of that overshadowed Harden’s first recreation again in Philadelphia because the commerce, as the long run Corridor of Famer completed with 16 factors and 14 assists in 39 minutes. He was booed throughout introductions and the primary quarter, however as the sport went on, his return pale into the background of what grew to become a aggressive recreation with a frenetic end.

“I anticipated it,” Harden mentioned of the response. “I do not actually know what it is about, however I anticipated it.

“It’s what it’s. I do not know why they have been booing.”