Players, coaches and team owners were upset by the calls late in Mavericks-Lakers Thursday night. The NBA agreed.
The NBA releases a Last Two Minute Report for any game that was within three points in the final two minutes of regulation or overtimes — as was the case in Thursday’s double-OT thriller. This one found seven incorrect calls in those six minutes, which should frustrate both teams and satisfy neither.
The two most crucial calls from the Lakers’ perspective came at the end of the first overtime, where the league office ruled Christian Wood should have been whistled for a foul when he blocked LeBron James’ shot at the end of overtime, and Luka Doncic committed an uncalled loose ball foul corralling the rebound.
According to the report, James got away with two uncalled offensive fouls in a four-second stretch in the second overtime, pushing off on Spencer Dinwiddie and then Tim Hardaway Jr. They also ruled that on the play where LeBron appeared to travel and the officials called a jump ball, Reggie Bullock actually knocked the ball loose cleanly.
The answer to “Foul, jump ball or travel?” was “None of the above.”
Overall, five of the missed calls hurt the Mavericks, and two disadvantaged the Lakers. On the play that made the Lakers most irate, Troy Brown Jr.’s missed three at the end of regulation, the report called it a correct non-call, because Hardaway contacted the ball before “high-five” contact with Brown’s hand.
Beyond the last two minutes, the officiating made Mavericks owner Mark Cuban so mad he tweeted his way into a guaranteed fine.
Still, it’s unclear why the league puts out these reports. Perhaps it’s to have rebuttal evidence when fans claim superstars get all the calls — Doncic and James were both victimized by bad decisions. Perhaps the league believes that any publicity is good publicity, and that fans arguing about the officials means they’re giving the NBA attention.
The Last Two Minute Report doesn’t change the outcome, nor does it lead to more referee accountability. But it does give fans more to argue about, so the reports will keep coming out, and the victims and the beneficiaries will keep being unhappy about them.
