NBA Reveals Missed Calls in Last 2 Minutes of Spurs vs. Thunder Game 5
If the NBA is to be believed, the San Antonio Spurs have the right to be upset about the way their Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was officiated on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City stole home-court advantage back and seized a 3-2 lead in the second-round series with a 95-91 win, but the league’s Last Two Minute Report pointed out Wednesday that officials missed two important calls near the end of the game (h/t Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports).
With the Thunder up by a single point in the final 10 seconds, Kawhi Leonard fouled Russell Westbrook to stop the clock, according to the report. However, the officials did not call the foul, and Westbrook continued to the rim and eventually converted an and-1 to put Oklahoma City up by four, which virtually ended San Antonio’s chances.
The point guard could have only put his team ahead by three at the free-throw line if the officials called it correctly.
What’s more, the Last Two Minute Report said officials should not have called Danny Green’s foul on Kevin Durant with 54.7 seconds left because Steven Adams tripped the Spurs wingman and caused him to fall into Durant, per Pandian.
San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged both situations but was more upset about the foul called on Green, per Pandian: “He [Leonard] fouled him. It was pretty obvious he fouled him, but every call doesn’t get called. That’s the way the game is. I was more concerned about the play before that with Durant’s shot. But as I’ve said, sometimes you get a call. Sometimes not. It happens to everybody. Tough game.”
Leonard echoed similar sentiments when talking about the sequence when he fouled Westbrook, via Pandian: “I definitely fouled him. But the referee, I guess he didn’t see it. You just go to keep playing through it.”
It is notable how measured the Spurs were in their responses instead of getting too upset. Perhaps they realized they had other opportunities to win the game and failed, which left the outcome more in the officials’ hands.
Tony Parker missed a free throw in the final minute that would have tied the game at 92 and then missed a mid-range jumper with less than 15 seconds remaining that would have put the Spurs ahead 93-92. Parker’s failure to give San Antonio the lead forced the situation where Westbrook was fouled on his game-clinching and-1.
This is nothing new in this series, seeing as how the Thunder also won Game 2 in San Antonio in a contest marred by controversy.
The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report from that contest said the officials failed to call five fouls in the final sequence, including an instance when Oklahoma City’s Dion Waiters elbowed Manu Ginobili when he was inbounding the ball in the last 15 seconds. San Antonio did eventually steal the pass but missed a possible game-winner in the ensuing chaos and lost, 98-97.
Had officials called the elbow, the Spurs would have had an inbounds and could have run a set play (although Ginobili also stepped on the line when challenging Waiters, which is a violation as well).
Despite the difficult losses and circumstances, Matt Moore of CBSSports.com pointed to the way the Spurs have handled things and thinks they will be ready for Thursday’s Game 6:
"And the Spurs have suffered two infuriating, gut-wreching losses and are SO DAMN CLASSY after each one.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 11, 2016"
"The Spurs never get rattled. They’re screwing up clutch situations and I still feel like they’ll be ready for Game 6.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 11, 2016"
That game is in Oklahoma City, and San Antonio must find a way to win it if it wants to extend its season.
The Thunder have the momentum, but this Spurs squad finished 67-15 on the season and 27-14 on the road. Only the 73-win Golden State Warriors won more games away from home in 2015-16, and the Spurs already beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City once in this series.
This is a proud San Antonio franchise that reached two of the last three NBA Finals, and it will not be an easy out for the Thunder. The Spurs finished first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 96.6 this season, per NBA.com, and will look to use that defense to slow down Westbrook and Durant. They also have LaMarcus Aldridge and Leonard each averaging more than 22 points per night in the playoffs on the other side to carry the offense.
San Antonio may be down in this series, but it is far from out. Now it has to hope the officials don’t get in the way in Game 6.
