The nurse angrily entered the court to argue against the missed call and needed to be held back by his team members. Oubre also joined in, gesturing towards each of the three referees – Scott, JB DeRosa, and Brandon Adair – before being separated.
However, Nurse also acknowledged that some calls made towards the end of the game could have favored the opposing team.
According to crew chief Kevin Scott, there was a missed foul call on a drive by Philadelphia 76ers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. during the final play of their game against the LA Clippers on Wednesday night.
The match concluded with a tumultuous last minute, with many reviews and a wedgie leading to a jump ball. The 76ers had two costly turnovers, while Clippers’ top player Kawhi Leonard secured two and-1s. Oubre’s drive left him on the ground while the Clippers rejoiced in their crucial win in James Harden’s return to South Philly after being traded.
Tyrese [Maxey] gets away in the backcourt, loses his footing, and his team earns a free throw from that play,” Nurse stated. “We respond by scoring, but they apply a full-court press and inadvertently make Kelly lose possession out of bounds.”
“We, along with the other teammates, must continue to move in the correct direction, focusing on the small details and maintaining an aggressive approach on defense. This will ensure that when he returns, we are able to continue making progress.”Tim Bontemps, ESPN
Both teams were in a desperate state as the game came to an end, reflecting their recent performances. The Philadelphia team has a record of 13-26 this season when playing without their star player, Joel Embiid, who is steadily recovering from his left lateral meniscus procedure seven weeks ago.
After suffering a loss, the 76ers have dropped to eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They missed an opportunity to gain on the Indiana Pacers, who are currently in sixth place and also lost to Chicago on Wednesday.
“The officials initially saw the player’s action as a vertical jump during the last play on the court,” explained Scott. “However, upon reviewing the postgame footage, we noticed that [Paul] George had slightly moved towards his left, indicating a foul should have been called.”
“I believe [Oubre] went in pretty strong,” shared Nurse. “I reviewed it a few times on the computer, and I thought it was definitely contact. It was similar to the last two or three plays that were called as ‘and-1’s on the other end.”
