Last night’s Game 4 of the NBA playoffs had an incredibly exciting finish. The Lakers dropped a close one to the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 114-111. The game finished in bizarre controversy. Down to their last chance, with only 33 seconds remaining on the clock, Luka Doncic found himself contested by Timberwolves defender Jaden McDaniels who committed a clear foul yet was not. This omission has raised serious debates about officiating and how it affects the result of important games.
When Doncic was intentionally fouled at midcourt, the Lakers were down only one point, 114-113. Had the foul been called, Doncic would have been able to go to the line for two free throws. He would’ve had his team’s best shot at tying the game or even taking the lead. Instead, Doncic hung onto the ball, and that enabled the Lakers to call a timeout to avoid an 8-second violation. Out of the timeout, Austin Reaves went for the game-tying three but clanked it off the front of the rim, dooming the Lakers.
The NBA acknowledged the missed foul in its Last 2-Minute Report issued on Monday. The tripping call too—even Perk admitted Luka was really tripped by McDaniels on that one. The report has drawn attention to how such decisions can influence playoff outcomes and the importance of accurate officiating at critical moments.
In that game, Josh Hart committed an intentional foul on Tim Hardaway Jr.’s three-point shot at the buzzer. That foul was acknowledged by the NBA a few hours after the game, even though Hardaway Jr. was never awarded free throws. The Knicks narrowly won that contest 94-93, leaving fans and players to ponder what might have been had the call gone differently.
Of course, the Lakers were just coming off a disappointing defeat against the Timberwolves. Now—with Game 5 of their series Wednesday looming—they feel the pressure more than ever. At the same time, the Knicks and Pistons will meet again on Tuesday as well. The last few series have had iconic runs keep fans in suspense, particularly the nail biting finals with dramatic length games decided by controversial ref calls.
Like us, LeBron James was not a fan of the controversy surrounding this year’s postseason officiating.
“That play happens all the time. Hand is part of the ball. That’s what they said. I feel like the hand was a part of that ball.” – LeBron James
As each series goes on, teams will have tougher matches, deeper opposition to pick apart and exploit. They’ll contend with the fallout from errant calls or missed calls that might change the course of their playoff runs.
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