NBA L2M: Kristaps Porziņģis Didn't Foul Mathurin on Pivotal Celtics-Pacers Possession

The NBA's L2M report from the Indiana Pacers' 133-131 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday night said that Kristaps Porziņģis didn't foul Bennedict Mathurin on the final play of the game, which led to a pair of game-winning free throws for the Pacers' wing.

The league noted that the review that followed was only to determine if there was time left on the clock, not whether a foul occurred.

The NBA also determined that video replay correctly overturned a foul called on Buddy Hield while he contested a Jaylen Brown shot from behind.

Both of those plays came within the final four seconds of the game and essentially decided the outcome. The video overturn on Brown came with 3.2 seconds remaining and would have given him a pair of go-ahead free throws had the call on the floor stood.

And the call on Porziņģis came as time expired, though officials put 0.6 seconds back on the clock upon review. The foul came on a three-point attempt, and Mathurin hit his first two attempts before purposefully missing the third.

Brown was irate after the game, saying referee crew chief James Williams told him the replay didn't conclusively show Hield nicking him in the head.

"And that's what [ticked] me off, because I know I got hit in the head," he told reporters. "And you see on the replay, it's pretty obvious I got hit in the head. Then you look me in my eye and tell me that I didn't. I think that needs to be investigated. Cost my team a game and of course I'm [ticked] about it."

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James agreed with him:

To add insult to injury, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters after the game that Hield admitted to him that he "fouled" Brown. The veteran guard didn't deny doing so when questioned by reporters:

"I mean, I told Joe what I told Joe. But they have three refs out there and they had the replay center, and that's what replay is for, I guess. I was thinking I might have hit [Brown] a little bit, but they have three refs out there and they have cameras and they slow down the angles of it. I felt like it was not excessive contact. I know I touched the ball, I maybe nicked Brown in the head a little bit. I'm not too sure."

The replay booth seemed to agree with that general interpretation of the situation, much to the chagrin of Brown and the Celtics. But Boston has every right to be aggrieved by the phantom call on Porziņģis.