The Philadelphia 76ers dropped a tough one on Sunday night, falling to the Atlanta Hawks on the road in a game that had its fair share of drama - both on the court and off it. Despite a strong showing from Paul George, the Sixers couldn’t quite close the deal, losing to Atlanta for the second time in as many weeks. And while both teams were missing their lead guards - Tyrese Maxey for Philly and Trae Young for Atlanta - it was the Hawks who found just enough to edge out the win.
But the biggest talking point coming out of this game wasn’t just the final score - it was a late-game sequence that sparked a bit of controversy and even drew a public response from the league’s officiating crew.
Here’s what happened: with the Hawks inbounding the ball late, Nickeil Alexander-Walker caught the pass in the frontcourt and then dribbled into the backcourt. No whistle.
No violation. And that’s exactly how the rulebook says it should be called.
According to NBA rules, if a player catches the ball in the frontcourt and their momentum carries them into the backcourt, that’s a legal play. It’s a nuance that doesn’t always jump off the screen, but it’s an important one - especially in crunch time.
Still, that didn’t stop 76ers broadcaster Alaa Abdelnaby from calling it a missed call in real time. The NBA’s official referee account wasn’t having it.
They took to X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight, writing: *“This was not a backcourt violation and has never been a backcourt violation. For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans.”
- They even tagged Abdelnaby directly and followed up with a thread of video examples to support their ruling.
It’s not every day you see the league’s refs publicly call out a commentator, but this was clearly a moment where they felt the need to step in and clarify. And while the explanation may satisfy the rulebook purists, it probably won’t do much to ease the sting for Sixers fans, who watched their team fall to 14-11 on the season. That record now has them in the thick of a tightly packed Eastern Conference race, where seeds three through nine are separated by just a half-game.
The good news for Philly? They’ve got some time to regroup.
The Sixers won’t be back in action until Friday, when they head to Madison Square Garden for a primetime matchup against the New York Knicks. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
ET, and given how tight the standings are, every game from here on out carries a little extra weight.