76ers' Tyrese Maxey Talks Missed Fouls vs. Knicks in Game 2: 'We Can't Dwell on That'

Tyrese Maxey says the Philadelphia 76ers can't dwell on the officiating errors, confirmed by the NBA, that took place Monday during the Sixers' Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks.

The 104-101 loss allowed the Knicks to take a 2-0 first-round series lead.

"I mean, I gotta be stronger with the ball. ... I mean, it is what it is. It happened. We gotta let it go and we can't dwell on it now," Maxey said Tuesday on NBA on TNT Tip-Off: "If we dwell on it then in a couple days we'll be down 0-3, and we don't want to be down 0-3.

"I mean, we know that we can still win this series. We gotta go out there and prove that to everybody, not just ourselves, and it starts today. Letting that go and then tomorrow at practice and then as soon as the ball goes up on Thursday being a tougher team, not just physically but mentally as well."

Maxey said the 76ers were responsible for allowing the score to get close enough that no-calls influenced the outcome of the game.

"We still had a chance to win the game," Maxey said. "I got my layup blocked and then we missed a three at the end to tie, so we can't dwell on that. We can't leave games in other people's hands. We gotta go out there and take it."

Game 3 tips off in Philadelphia Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report, the league's official assessment of officiating late in close games, stated that referees should have called two fouls committed on Maxey in the seconds before he committed the late turnover that led to Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo's game-winning three.

In addition, the officiating report stated that 76ers coach Nick Nurse's attempts to call a timeout prior to the turnover were not recognized by officials.

That wasn't the final turning point in the game, as Maxey noted. As time ticked down he was denied on a layup attempt that would have put the 76ers ahead with under seven seconds left on the clock.

The 76ers had led by as many as five points within the final 30 seconds. The Knicks' comeback marks just the fourth time since 1997 that a team has recovered from such a late deficit during a playoff game, according to the Associated Press.

This end result must have been especially disappointing for Maxey, who began the game by making three straight shots from behind the arc to pull out the 76ers to a nine-point lead to start the game.

The 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year then racked up 35 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the loss despite missing the team's morning shootaround due to illness.

Maxey will look to put up a similarly strong performance when the series heads to Wells Fargo Center as the 76ers fight to earn their fourth straight trip to the second round.