According to the NBA’s officiating review, there were three missed calls in the final 100 seconds of Monday’s overtime loss at Denver, all favoring the home team. Houston lost by three points.
In the final 100 seconds of Monday’s overtime in Denver, the NBA found three incorrect calls in its Last Two Minutes (L2M) officiating report. All favored the Nuggets, who went on to win by three points.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka offered sharp officiating criticisms postgame, and it turns out he had a point, according to the NBA’s internal officiating review.
The three missed calls were as follows, per the report:
• With 1:40 left (video), Kevin Durant was called for a shooting foul when he blocked a Nikola Jokic shot. It was was a clean block, per the NBA, yet Jokic went to the free-throw line and made both free throws.
• With 1:08 left (video) and the Rockets in the bonus, Tim Hardaway Jr. made clear body contact with Alperen Sengun in pursuit of a rebound. No foul was called. Instead of Houston going to the free-throw line for two shots, Denver gained possession.
• With 47.2 seconds left (video), Amen Thompson cleanly dislodged the ball from Jamal Murray, and the ensuing contact that occurred as Murray secured the loose ball was deemed a foul. Murray then went to the free-throw line and made both. Instead, the L2M report says the contact was marginal, and no foul should have been called.
On the first blown call sending Jokic to the line, the Rockets had clear possession of the basketball after Durant’s block. On the second errant whistle, Murray would’ve otherwise had possession in the backcourt with only four seconds left on the shot clock.
Instead, Denver went to the line and made all four shots.
In totality, the missed calls from the final 100 seconds added four points for the Nuggets, and they took away what should’ve been two additional free throws for Sengun and the Rockets.
Houston lost the overtime period, and thus the game, by three points.
All other officiating judgments in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and all of overtime were deemed correct calls.