PG: Maxey travels for the win, Maxey doesn't miss.. tough tough loss.

[KnicksGod]

True, but it makes it a little better that Sixers fans can't cry about Game 2 at all now.

I like LTM reports. It shows a more unbiased look at the final 2 minutes. Even if the game isn't overturned (and that almost never happens), the league admits ref mistakes. I'm OK with that.

I don't care about Maxey's travel, because, like game 2 - Refs can't call that in the closing minute.

The Knicks blew the game. Thibs blew the game. You've got to take that and move on. The report, while it takes some sting out of it, doesn't change the real culprit of this loss. Dumb mistakes. NY had this game.

Agree with bolded. The big issue I have is with the actual Foul on Mitch on that 4 point play. I posted this elsewhere, and will repost it here because I can't think of any different ways to word it.

I truly hate this play. Not only this singular play in particular, but this type of foul call in general. The player who inititiates illegal contact should get the foul called on them. Jumping into a defender in non-regular basketball motion should be an offensive foul. Last game Lowery initiated illegal contact by intentionally stepping/tripping on Brunson laying on his back and it was a foul on Brunson. Brunson laid down flat and had his arms crossed. That's an offensive foul IMO.

Section IV—Fouls

a. A common personal foul is illegal physical contact which occurs with an opponent
after the ball has become live and before the horn sounds to end the period. If time expires
before the personal foul occurs, the personal foul should be disregarded, unless it was

EXCEPTION: If the foul is committed on or by a player in the act of shooting, and the
shooter released the ball prior to the expiration of time on the game clock, then the foul
should be administered in the same manner as with any similar play during the course of the
game (See Rule 13—Section II—b—ii).

b. A technical foul is the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct or violations by team
members on the floor or seated on the bench.
c. A double foul is a situation in which any two opponents commit personal fouls at
approximately the same time.
d. An offensive foul is illegal contact, committed by an offensive player, after the ball
is live and there is team control.
e. A loose ball foul is illegal contact, after the ball is alive, when team control does
not exist.
f. A flagrant foul is unnecessary and/or excessive contact committed by a player against
an opponent whether the ball is dead or alive.
g. A punching foul is a punch by a player which makes contact with an opponent
whether the ball is dead or alive.
h. An away-from-the-play foul is illegal contact by the defense (1) in the last two
minutes of each period, and last two minutes of any overtime periods, which occurs deliberately
away from the immediate area of offensive action, or (2) prior to the ball being released on a
throw-in at any point during the entire game.

Getting someone up and making a normal basketball motion (like on a layup) I get. This James Harden chuck a shot and jump into the defender with a non basketball motion shot **** kills me.

And I don't want to be a bitch here. I tip my cap to Philly. The Knicks had chances to win and served up opportunity after opportunity to Philly for them to capitalize. Maxey is a BAD man. He is going to be a problem. Oubre and (ironically) Harris kept Philly in the game in the first half. The respect stops there. Nurse acts like a clown (but is a decent enough coach) and Joel Embitch...er...Embiid is a generational talent skill wise (but this series is showing a side of him I have never seen before). He is that good. He doesn't need to pull this dirty ****.

They basically permit the offensive player to jump at an angle, just not a severe one. They don’t define what that is so it’s BS.

Mitch should not be close to him. He def played that like it was over and he was just going through the motions.

[Luv those Knicks]

I HATE the Sixers. Even more than I hate Donald Trump.

That's intense

Embiid is a player I will always root against after this series, regardless of the outcome. I can't remember such a dirty player and this will always outweigh anything positive he does. Then, beyond that, he's a whiny little flopping crapburger. His skillset should make him one of my favorite non Knicks but everything about him just screams "**** this guy." I bet he smells like BO too. He's my new least favorite player.

Nurse has a very punchable face. Oubre is a bit arrogant. Lowry is also dirty and conniving.

Otherwise, I don't have such strong feelings about the team.

It's just something I had to say and I knew it was irrational, I said as much a paragraph later. Now that I've written about it and compared the Sixers to the zombies in the walking dead, I feel better. Maybe I shouldn't have said all that.

- - -

Agree with you on Lowrey & Embiid 100%. Lots of players in the NBA try to get an advantage by dirty play or other tactics. It's part of the game and it's very bad for the enjoyment of the game. I don't even want my team to win that way, much less lose because the other team plays cheap and dirty.

[nykfan42]

I know I'm not suicidal or anything haha. Just exaggerating to make a point. When you're so emotionally invested in something for so long and it gets taken away in 30 secs it's tough. That's literally what happened. I hope they just close it out tomorrow bc if it goes to a game 7.... I don't have much confidence even tho it's at home. How many times roughly has a team blown a 3-1 lead?

About 7% of the time

So we have a chance then?

We gotta win this.

[Clyde_Style]

I was going to hold off on posting in this thread till after the series. And I've been holding my breath since the end of game 5. OK, not literally. I can't hold my breath for over a day . . . but you know what I mean. Like I can't breath until it's over.

I HATE the Sixers. Even more than I hate Donald Trump.

That's very hateful. I didn't even know that kind of hate existed and lord knows I hate that MF down to my marrow.

[Clyde_Style]

I HATE the Sixers. Even more than I hate Donald Trump.

That's intense

Embiid is a player I will always root against after this series, regardless of the outcome. I can't remember such a dirty player and this will always outweigh anything positive he does. Then, beyond that, he's a whiny little flopburger. His skillset should make him one of my favorite non Knicks but everything about him just screams "**** this guy." I bet he smells like BO too. He's my new least favorite player. Below Hardaway. Below Reggie. It's this guy.

Nurse has a very punchable face. Oubre is a bit arrogant. Lowry is also dirty and conniving.

Otherwise, I don't have such strong feelings about the team. Honestly, I like Maxey. He has chutzpah.

Yes! Just looking at Embad you know he smells like a fistful of fermented underwear

[Clyde_Style]

Quick!

Somebody foul me before I score on the hot blonde sitting in the shadows at the end of the bar

[Luv those Knicks]

Quick!

Somebody foul me before I score on the hot blonde sitting in the shadows at the end of the bar

Right, like you could pick up a hot blond. On a holodeck . . . I'd give you a 50% chance.

[joec32033]

Agree with bolded. The big issue I have is with the actual Foul on Mitch on that 4 point play. I posted this elsewhere, and will repost it here because I can't think of any different ways to word it.

I truly hate this play. Not only this singular play in particular, but this type of foul call in general. The player who inititiates illegal contact should get the foul called on them. Jumping into a defender in non-regular basketball motion should be an offensive foul. Last game Lowery initiated illegal contact by intentionally stepping/tripping on Brunson laying on his back and it was a foul on Brunson. Brunson laid down flat and had his arms crossed. That's an offensive foul IMO.

- - - -

Getting someone up and making a normal basketball motion (like on a layup) I get. This James Harden chuck a shot and jump into the defender with a non basketball motion shot **** kills me.

And I don't want to be a bitch here. I tip my cap to Philly. The Knicks had chances to win and served up opportunity after opportunity to Philly for them to capitalize. Maxey is a BAD man. He is going to be a problem. Oubre and (ironically) Harris kept Philly in the game in the first half. The respect stops there. Nurse acts like a clown (but is a decent enough coach) and Joel Embitch...er...Embiid is a generational talent skill wise (but this series is showing a side of him I have never seen before). He is that good. He doesn't need to pull this dirty ****.

I removed some of the quotes to make it more concise, but just wanted to say - great post.

The refs have a tough job, so . . . they're going to miss a few. Still, I agree 100% with everything you said.

Thanks.

And they will it is a part of the game. However, the game has already turned into a 3 point shooting contest with teams running the same plays for corner 3's. Really wish they would bring back the forearm check. I get no handchecking, but you don't grab with the forearm.

They key is to at the very least stay with and call what a foul is defined as. At the very least. All these L2M reports list ll the hot words, like "regular shooting motion" or "non basketball stance" or whatever BS. Regular basketball motions are like porn, it's hard to explain but anyone who knows what they are looking at will know it when they see it. Referees are supposed to be the experts.

[drekwins]

Read on Twitter

God forbid Thibs should try to call some plays or put forward some instructions to change that.

Brunson has to do a better job of creating for others. It's no secret that part of Divos struggles are because of his inability to get him open looks. He has to drive and dish. Move the ball fast. Hero ball isnt going to work. Tbh, the entire Knicks team could take some queues from Stever Kerrs offense with GS. Lots of passes, movement, etc. We are the opposite of that.

[drekwins]

I really think it would benefit everyone if Deuce started. He's another ball handler. ++defender on Maxey. It also allows Divo to cook against the backups and when guys are tired. He can take more of a leading role with the second unit to work out of his funk.

[Clyde_Style]

Quick!

Somebody foul me before I score on the hot blonde sitting in the shadows at the end of the bar

Right, like you could pick up a hot blond. On a holodeck . . . I'd give you a 50% chance.

and my new friend has something to say to you

Spoiler:

[aq_ua]

I HATE the Sixers. Even more than I hate Donald Trump.

That's intense

Embiid is a player I will always root against after this series, regardless of the outcome. I can't remember such a dirty player and this will always outweigh anything positive he does. Then, beyond that, he's a whiny little flopping crapburger. His skillset should make him one of my favorite non Knicks but everything about him just screams "**** this guy." I bet he smells like BO too. He's my new least favorite player.

Nurse has a very punchable face. Oubre is a bit arrogant. Lowry is also dirty and conniving.

Otherwise, I don't have such strong feelings about the team.

It's just something I had to say and I knew it was irrational, I said as much a paragraph later. Now that I've written about it and compared the Sixers to the zombies in the walking dead, I feel better. Maybe I shouldn't have said all that.

- - -

Agree with you on Lowrey & Embiid 100%. Lots of players in the NBA try to get an advantage by dirty play or other tactics. It's part of the game and it's very bad for the enjoyment of the game. I don't even want my team to win that way, much less lose because the other team plays cheap and dirty.

I wonder if we don't really see a player's true colors until the playoffs? I've certainly read negative things about Embiid but never fully understood what a dirty player he is until this series, despite countless regular season meetings between the teams. Lowry, on the other hand, I wouldn't mind on our roster next season. Is that blasphemous?!

[Clyde_Style]

I really think it would benefit everyone if Deuce started. He's another ball handler. ++defender on Maxey. It also allows Divo to cook against the backups and when guys are tired. He can take more of a leading role with the second unit to work out of his funk.

Definitely. He's already starting to rack up big minutes so put him on Maxey to start the game

[2020]

Not fouling someone on the back court inbound catch up 3?
Not using a TO to set up a play for last shot when you have 2 left?

Those are Thibs decisions that look sus

Looks like he called for it, Deuce just couldn’t get over the Embiid screen in time (not his fault either).

He could have fouled Embiid. Learning experience.

THIS MOVING SCREEN BY EMBIID WAS SO BLATANT

[joec32033]

I like LTM reports. It shows a more unbiased look at the final 2 minutes. Even if the game isn't overturned (and that almost never happens), the league admits ref mistakes. I'm OK with that.

I don't care about Maxey's travel, because, like game 2 - Refs can't call that in the closing minute.

The Knicks blew the game. Thibs blew the game. You've got to take that and move on. The report, while it takes some sting out of it, doesn't change the real culprit of this loss. Dumb mistakes. NY had this game.

Agree with bolded. The big issue I have is with the actual Foul on Mitch on that 4 point play. I posted this elsewhere, and will repost it here because I can't think of any different ways to word it.

I truly hate this play. Not only this singular play in particular, but this type of foul call in general. The player who inititiates illegal contact should get the foul called on them. Jumping into a defender in non-regular basketball motion should be an offensive foul. Last game Lowery initiated illegal contact by intentionally stepping/tripping on Brunson laying on his back and it was a foul on Brunson. Brunson laid down flat and had his arms crossed. That's an offensive foul IMO.

Section IV—Fouls

a. A common personal foul is illegal physical contact which occurs with an opponent
after the ball has become live and before the horn sounds to end the period. If time expires
before the personal foul occurs, the personal foul should be disregarded, unless it was

EXCEPTION: If the foul is committed on or by a player in the act of shooting, and the
shooter released the ball prior to the expiration of time on the game clock, then the foul
should be administered in the same manner as with any similar play during the course of the
game (See Rule 13—Section II—b—ii).

b. A technical foul is the penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct or violations by team
members on the floor or seated on the bench.
c. A double foul is a situation in which any two opponents commit personal fouls at
approximately the same time.
d. An offensive foul is illegal contact, committed by an offensive player, after the ball
is live and there is team control.
e. A loose ball foul is illegal contact, after the ball is alive, when team control does
not exist.
f. A flagrant foul is unnecessary and/or excessive contact committed by a player against
an opponent whether the ball is dead or alive.
g. A punching foul is a punch by a player which makes contact with an opponent
whether the ball is dead or alive.
h. An away-from-the-play foul is illegal contact by the defense (1) in the last two
minutes of each period, and last two minutes of any overtime periods, which occurs deliberately
away from the immediate area of offensive action, or (2) prior to the ball being released on a
throw-in at any point during the entire game.

Getting someone up and making a normal basketball motion (like on a layup) I get. This James Harden chuck a shot and jump into the defender with a non basketball motion shot **** kills me.

And I don't want to be a bitch here. I tip my cap to Philly. The Knicks had chances to win and served up opportunity after opportunity to Philly for them to capitalize. Maxey is a BAD man. He is going to be a problem. Oubre and (ironically) Harris kept Philly in the game in the first half. The respect stops there. Nurse acts like a clown (but is a decent enough coach) and Joel Embitch...er...Embiid is a generational talent skill wise (but this series is showing a side of him I have never seen before). He is that good. He doesn't need to pull this dirty ****.

They basically permit the offensive player to jump at an angle, just not a severe one. They don’t define what that is so it’s BS.

Mitch should not be close to him. He def played that like it was over and he was just going through the motions.

I said in another post that "non basketball motions" and "regular shooting motions" or whatever they want to call them are obvious to people looking at them. IDK when the line was that it all changed but it did.

I didn't think Mitch was half assing it, I think he was just gassed, and the try for the block is his natural instinct-remember when he came into the league, he was known for blocking 3's his first season. Everyone fawned over it.
Letter of the law, IMO, that shouldn't have been a foul with Maxey initiating the contact with a non natural basketball shooting motion. But like I said it never should have gotten to that point to begin with.

[matchman]

I was going to hold off on posting in this thread till after the series. And I've been holding my breath since the end of game 5. OK, not literally. I can't hold my breath for over a day . . . but you know what I mean. Like I can't breath until it's over.

I HATE the Sixers. Even more than I hate Donald Trump.

There. I said it. I know that's irrational. It's just a game. I'm just a fan. But they suck. They're not even the bad guys in a cool way, like, you know, Hanibal Lector, or even, Michael Jordan. (Come to think of it, Jordan and Hannibal Lector do have a lot in common) . . . but I digress.

The Sixers are more like the zombies in The Walking Dead. Nobody roots for the Zombies, but the truth is, sometimes the Zombies win. It's just how it is.

My Knicks unraveled, and they, as others before them have done, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and Maxey made his shots and NY lost a game they should have won and more than one person is to blame for that, but perhaps, Thibs most of all. Thibs is great when he's right. We loved the guy in game 4, but he's not always right. We've all seen him make mistakes before. He's . . . 60/40. I like the guy, but he's not perfect.

So, what now? Where do we stand?

Philly's a good team. They were the 2nd best team in the East when Embiid was healthy and their record backed that up. Though the Knicks - when healthy (OG before the elbow), were right there too, but didn't do it for as long a period. We went into this series undermanned. No Randle means we went in at 80%. . . . OK, 85%.

and 85% of NY vs Philly (and they're banged up too but they're not 85% - they have much more of their team than we have of ours) - tough matchup.

NY goes in, head held high and faces the team that other teams went out of their way to avoid, and missing a key player.

And they win game 1.
They snatch game 2, Philly makes some mistakes, some brilliance at the end, Brunson has a bad game, but NY up 2-0.
Game 3 goes to the bad guys.
Game 4, hehe, Wilt gets jerseyed.
Game 5, . . . look, the game was close. The series has been very close. Games 2, 4 and 5 were all right down to the wire. Even game 1 was kind of close and game 3, the refs really wanted Philly to win game 3.

It's been a war. We've had playoff series wars before, but this one, feels more intense than any I remember.

Remember 91-92, when the Knicks beat the 67 win Bulls at home. Xavier McDaniel bothered Scotty Pippen all series and NY took the series to 7 games. Nobody else took the bulls to 7 games. But, if I was to be honest for a moment (and just a moment), the Bulls were better. Come on, everyone knows that. The Knicks thugged their way to almost winning, but they were never the better team. They just had Oakley at defensive tackle, McDaniel at defensive end and Mason at linebacker.

92-93, NY lost McDaniel because Michael Jordan's agent stepped in, but they add Charles Smith (losing Mark Jackson who we missed more than most people realized, I think), and NY wins 62 games, home court all the way and they go up against Chicago 2-0. . . . . . then they lose the next 4. Bulls were better. I'm sorry, but 92-93 was perhaps closer, but Bulls were better, and one of the games in Chicago went down to a last second no call, and then Charles Smith couldn't make a layup in another game, but . . . up 2-0 - that was their window, but they couldn't close it.

Last year, this Knicks team met the Cavs, who were expected to win, and they made the Cavs look silly. Then they met physical and more composed Heat team, that made it to the finals - last year was a war too. The Heat played hard and Butler was a dagger (like Maxey this year) and the Heat won. Tough series, but I'll say this about it, looking back at last year's playoffs. I feel no regret for watching. NY played hard, they lost, but it was a great series against the Heat.

Now we're facing the Philadelphia Walking dead - going into their home court. Up 3-2 but . . . enemy ground. Zombies everywhere. Can our boys pull out a win in enemy territory?

I didn't say this at the time, but when NY was up 3-1, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. These teams are evenly matched. Any game can go any way and Philly has 2 offensive weapons who can go off at any time, NY has just one. Philly's good, even if they are zombies.

This isn't NY vs Chicago in the early 90s when NY tries to out-thug them.

We have to outsmart Philly. They have more weapons. . . . funny story. I gather Philly ownership held back 5,000 tickets for sale to make some extra money. That's why there were so many Knick fans in attendance in game 4. Did they do the same with game 6? he he. Probably. I'm guessing many Knick fans will be in attendance, unless they made all the tickets available to fans after the fiasco in game four.

But I digress. This is a tough series. Maybe, the most brutal playoff series I remember watching in a long time. And if they lose, maybe the toughest loss to watch since they lost to the Rockets in the finals, so, I hope they don't lose.

But the good guys are still up 3 games to 2, facing the zombies for game 6 in the Walking Dead Arena. They can still pull off a miracle, and a win would, somehow, feel like a miracle. I can't explain that, but it would.

Go good guys!!! Go Knicks. Outsmart the sonofabitches.

It was so long LTK, don't know why can't press the +1 button but I can feel your passion (and hatred) through the words.

[matchman]

After a night of sleep, looking back game 5, as long as it doesn't cost us a series, it is good to expose some of our team's shortcomings to fix it now then in the later stage of playoffs.

Argentina won the world cup by slipping to the lowly Saudis in their first game, I am not saying we will win it all this year but a good team can adjust and find and fix their problems in a non-elimination loss.

Knicks in 6.

[Gravy]

Mitch redeemed. Thread title changed. Knicks actually won in five. Thibs coached us to the 2nd round. Haters and Sixers in shambles. Lets Go!?

[thebuzzardman]

After a night of sleep, looking back game 5, as long as it doesn't cost us a series, it is good to expose some of our team's shortcomings to fix it now then in the later stage of playoffs.

Argentina won the world cup by slipping to the lowly Saudis in their first game, I am not saying we will win it all this year but a good team can adjust and find and fix their problems in a non-elimination loss.

Knicks in 6.

This might not make you feel better, but it cost the Knicks the series.

[Fury]

After a night of sleep, looking back game 5, as long as it doesn't cost us a series, it is good to expose some of our team's shortcomings to fix it now then in the later stage of playoffs.

Argentina won the world cup by slipping to the lowly Saudis in their first game, I am not saying we will win it all this year but a good team can adjust and find and fix their problems in a non-elimination loss.

Knicks in 6.

Man that wasn’t a clinching to get into the knockout game though.