NBA Reveals Missed Calls in Last 2 Minutes of Warriors vs. Thunder Game 1

The NBA ruled that Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook should have been called for a travel on a crucial possession with 18.6 seconds remaining in regulation of his team's 108-102 Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday. 

In Tuesday's Last Two Minute Report, the NBA noted that Westbrook's pivot foot slid as he attempted to call a timeout after crossing half court with the Thunder up three points.   

Video of the travel, officially deemed an "incorrect non-call," can be viewed below: 

Speaking to NBA TV's Matt Winer after Game 1, NBA Senior Vice President of Replay and Referee Operations Joe Borgia provided an explanation for why the officials may have missed Westbrook's travel, according to ASAPSports: 

"

Yeah, you know, you have a tough play here. You've got a pretty quick transition play. The officials are thinking possibly that Thompson might want to take a foul, so they're focusing a lot on Thompson. Then all of a sudden Westbrook just pulls up. The officials, no one could get in a good position to see him drag that pivot foot. It's an unfortunate miss, but so much going on in the play, the speed of it, and officiating is about getting angles and sometimes you just can't get them, and they did not get a great angle on that play.

"

The NBA also ruled that Stephen Curry should have been called for a travel with 7.8 seconds left in regulation after he lifted his pivot foot prior to a field-goal attempt. 

But missed call or no missed call, it would be unfair to look at Westbrook's travel as the primary reason the Warriors were deprived of a victory Monday night. 

Not only were the Warriors outscored 61-42 in the second half after entering halftime up 13 points, but their offense was uncharacteristically out of sorts throughout the game's final 24 minutes. 

All told, Golden State shot 36.4 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from three during the third and fourth quarters, and those numbers plummeted in the final frame. 

Although the Warriors led by three through three periods, the wheels fell off with a 1-0 series edge in the their sights. The defending champions proceeded to shoot 26.1 percent from the field and 1-of-10 from three over the game's final 12 minutes. 

Curry was particularly shaky. The league's reigning MVP scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting in eight fourth-quarter minutes, and Klay Thompson didn't do anything to mask that slippage as he shot 0-of-4 from the field during the same span. 

However, brighter days are assuredly ahead for Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. 

The Warriors have yet to drop back-to-back games this season, and slipping up in Game 2 (9 p.m. ET on TNT) on Wednesday night against the Thunder at Oracle Arena would run counter to everything we saw throughout their record-setting campaign. 

Armed with motivation after suffering a come-from-behind defeat, the Warriors should come out amped up and ready to wipe away memories of a faulty Game 1 performance.