If it’s good enough for the Final Four, it’s good enough for the NBA Playoffs, so claims Trey McBride.
McBride, the brother of current New York Knicks depth star Miles, took to X to tear critics calling foul over the team’s lack of charges in the final minutes of Monday’s NBA playoff game: the Knicks turned a late five-point deficit into a 104-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals thanks to a game-winning three-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo, but the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report yielded two missed foul calls against New York. Had either one been called, DiVincenzo’s deep ball of destiny might’ve never been launched.
Trey McBride ripped those who attributed the Knicks’ success to officiating, indirectly conjuring recent memories to remind the basketball world that the lack of whistles seen on Monday is basically what they asked for.
“Crazy, a few weeks ago everyone was saying to let the players decide the game and keep officials out of it,” McBride, a professional player overseas, said. “Guess when it’s convenient, it’s okay to switch.”
McBride is more than likely referring to the controversial ending of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament national semifinal between Connecticut and Iowa.
In that incident, Connecticut’s attempt for a game-winner was ended when Aaliyah Edwards was called for a moving screen with less than four seconds remaining. While it was generally agreed that Edwards was guilty, some questioned the timing of the call, as offensive fouls are said to be rarely charged in the final stages of a game.
Officials pocketed their whistles during the dramatic final stanzas of the Knicks’ latest win but Philadelphia was undeniably vocal about the lack of calls in its favor. The team reportedly planned to file a grievance with the NBA concerning the issue and the revelations brought forth by the L2M report should only keep the results in the headlines.
Time will tell what, if any, the L2M report and the Sixers’ complaints have on the series’ officiating. The first opportunity to view the aftershocks lands on Thursday when the series with the Knicks moves to Wells Fargo Center (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).
