The tip of Wednesday evening’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and LA Clippers was rife with drama, replay opinions and excellent performs by each groups. In the long run, the Clippers got here away with a 108-107 win, but it surely definitely didn’t come with out controversy.
On the ultimate play of the sport, together with his group trailing by some extent, 76ers ahead Kelly Oubre Jr. drove towards the basket and tried a shot whereas colliding with Clippers ahead Paul George. The referees didn’t blow the whistle, and time expired to provide the Clippers the victory.
Oubre and 76ers coach Nick Nurse have been heated after the play, as each have been separated from the officers by teammates. Oubre, who completed with 17 factors and 11 rebounds within the loss, had some notably alternative NSFW phrases for the referees (lip readers, go to work), which have since gone viral in NBA social media circles.
“At the beginning, warmth of the second, that is an intense basketball sport, in fact. We’re not good, the refs aren’t good,” Oubre stated after the sport of his habits. “I need to apologize for simply shedding my cool, as a result of that is one thing I attempt to work on every day, and attempt to symbolize God in one of the best ways I probably can, and that wasn’t it. I simply make an apology.
“… On the finish of the day it wasn’t cool, so I will take no matter penalties include that and have to maneuver on. However I’ve received to be higher, in a way.”
To make issues worse for Philadelphia followers, the referees admitted after the sport that Oubre’s drive ought to have resulted in a foul, which might have despatched him to the free throw line with an opportunity to take the lead with lower than a second remaining.
“On the final play on the ground, in actual time the crew interpreted that play because the defender leaping vertically,” crew chief Kevin Scott stated within the postgame pool report. “Nonetheless, in post-game video evaluate we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul ought to have been dominated.”
There are numerous missed calls in any basketball sport, however those who happen on performs that would resolve the sport are all the time topic to essentially the most scrutiny. Credit score to the referees for acknowledging their mistake, but it surely does not make the loss go down any simpler for the Sixers, who’re combating to remain out of play-in place within the Japanese Convention.
Philadelphia did obtain some excellent news earlier than the sport, nevertheless, as Nurse stated that there is a “excellent probability” that famous person middle Joel Embiid will return from his left knee harm earlier than the postseason begins. With the large man again within the fold, the 76ers might be a harmful playoff opponent, irrespective of the place they end.
