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NBA Admits Mistake on Critical Play in 76ers vs Magic Game

The NBA notes Tyrese Maxey was fouled on Wednesday against the Magic.

Justin Grasso

Dec 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) pleads for a foul call against the Orlando Magic after a play during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) pleads for a foul call against the Orlando Magic after a play during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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After the Philadelphia 76ers dropped their Wednesday night matchup against the Orlando Magic, many debated whether or not Tyrese Maxey was fouled on the final sequence.

The Sixers came out of a timeout and put the ball in Maxey’s hands to take the final shot. As Maxey started to attack, it appeared that he was hit on the arm.

As soon as the one-time All-Star sensed contact from Orlando’s Anthony Black, Maxey went into a shooting motion in an attempt to draw a foul for a potential three or four-point play. Not only did Maxey not get whistled for a foul, but he also missed the shot.

Without three points there, the Sixers were forced to begin fouling the Magic in hopes of them missing their free throws on the other end.

According to the Last 2-Minute report from the NBA, the game officials made a mistake with a no-call in that situation.

“Black reaches in and initiates illegal contact to Maxey's arm prior to the start of his upward shooting motion,” the report writes. “A non-shooting foul should have been assessed.”

A reach-in was a logical gamble the Magic were willing to take in that moment. A steal could’ve given them a shot at breaking up the Sixers’ play. A foul would’ve sent Maxey to the line for two shots, leaving Orlando still in the lead by one point.

Instead, a no-call and a miss led the Sixers to eventually come up short with a 106-102 loss.

With that loss, the Sixers dropped to 5-15 on the year. They went into the night with two straight wins, which was their longest win streak of the season.

Now, the Sixers are back to square one. On Friday, they’ll face the Magic at home once more. They look forward to getting a reinforcement as Paul George is set to return to the action.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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