The referees got it wrong and after the game they admitted it was wrong. Today, the league confirmed what we all know.
Wednesday's controversial game, in which the Sixers lost 108-107 to the Clippers, was littered with questions, including a no-call on Kelly Oubre's drive to the basket at the final horn. .
Oubre and head coach Nick Nurse believed Oubre was fouled on the final play. After the game, Sixers pool reporter Keith Pompey asked game official crew chief Kevin Scott why no foul was called.
“On the last play on the floor, our staff interpreted that play in real time as a defender jumping vertically,” Scott said. “However, a post-game video review observed that defender George drifted slightly to the left and a foul should have been called.”
The NBA releases L2M (last two minute) reports for all relatively close games the day after the game is played. Analyze videos from multiple angles and evaluate calls and non-calls. Thursday afternoon's L2M report on the game did not differ significantly from what officials announced during the game.
The report said that apart from the deciding no-call in the final moments, the referees only missed one other call in the final two minutes.
With 54 seconds left, after missing Amir Coffey's free throw, Paul George flicked the ball out of Oubre's hands and out of bounds. An on-court replay review overturned the decision, with the referee ruling that Oubre was the last to touch the ball.
The call was ruled correct, but prior to the controversial call, reports had ruled that George fouled Oubre and prevented him from missing a free throw.
The foul that L2M claims was missed didn't seem as obvious as the subsequent play off the field.
At this time of year, winning is very important. In the Eastern Conference, only 3.5 games separate the fifth and eighth seeds. There is a three-game difference between fourth and eighth place in the West Division.
There's no guarantee that Oubre would have made the two free throws he was entitled to at the end of regulation, or even one of them. But he wasn't given that chance.
