Nick Nurse was not happy with the officials missing crucial calls in the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon.
The game went down the wire as New York led in the final seconds. Philadelphia tried to draw fouls against opposing defenders, but the officiating crew didn't make any calls for the hosts to have a chance. Nurse expressed his thoughts on the events after the game, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“Looks like Landry [Shamet] tried to intentionally file Tyrese [Maxey]. What do you think?” one reporter mentioned.
“Yeah, I think he was. But whatever, no big deal…Usually, when you're up three and you need three, teams are gonna foul, but they didn't,” Nurse said.
“Tyrese, his last 3-point attempt. Did he still have a lot of time left? Do you think he maybe felt the contact and then wanted to hoist it? Or what do you think of the decision?” a reporter asked.
“Yeah, you guys can ask him, but I would imagine he was knew he was getting fouled and that they were trying to foul and he was trying to get the call in a shooting motion. You can ask him, but I'm sure that's what he was thinking,” Nurse replied.
Nick Nurse expressed frustration after two no-calls in the final seconds of the Sixers' loss to the Knicks. | @Kia pic.twitter.com/QGNU7Thb1S
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 25, 2026
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How Nick Nurse, 76ers performed against Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) chases a loose bal in front of New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
It will be a frustrating loss for Nick Nurse and the 76ers to think about. They nearly stunned the Knicks in a division showdown but didn't have things go their way in terms of the officiating.
Four players scored in double-digits for Philadelphia in the loss. Joel Embiid led the way with a big stat line of 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and one block. He shot 13-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line. Tyrese Maxey came next with 22 points and six assists, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 14 points and seven rebounds, while VJ Edgecombe provided 14 points and four rebounds.
Philadelphia fell to a 24-20 record on the season, sitting at sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat while trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.
The 76ers will look to bounce back in their next matchup, going on the road. They face the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. ET.