The Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night, beating the Philadelphia 76ers by two points in what was a thrilling finish. However, if the referees officiating the game hadn’t made two huge mistakes in the final moments, things might have been a heck of a lot different.
The NBA released its latest Last Two Minutes report, and among other things Joel Embiid was actually fouled on his last attempt, and Marcus Smart actually traveled after stealing the ball to seal the win for the Celtics.
The NBA’s latest L2M report says, among other things, Joel Embiid was fouled by Aron Baynes on his last shot attempt and Marcus Smart traveled on his last steal.
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) May 10, 2018
You can watch clips of both plays here.
Being that the game was contested in Boston, it’s hardly surprising that the Celtics got the favorable calls. Still, it’s not hard to think that the Sixers are feeling a bit bitter about all this, given how they scratched and clawed their way back in the series, and in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s game.