No no haha I know pretty much all virtual environments in which virtual objects interact have physics engines going. The difference in EAs engine was that it is allegedly running constantly for each player on the floor.
The 2 player animations that people dislike about 2K are not examples of real time physics in action. They may have had physics engines involved in the creation of the animation but in the game at any particular time there are not calculations of physics for that animation; the calculations and outcomes have already been done.