Kevin Love's Elbow to DeMar DeRozan's Face in Game 1 Upgraded to Flagrant-1

The NBA announced Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has been assessed a Flagrant-1 foul for elbowing Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan in the face during the fourth quarter of their Game 1 matchup Tuesday night.

Rachel Nichols of ESPN passed along the news from the league office.

Love was called for a common foul on the floor with 1:11 remaining, as he swung his elbow into DeRozan's face while attempting to protect the ball. Neither side was particularly happy with the call on the floor; the Cavs felt Love had been fouled before the elbow, while the Raptors wanted a flagrant.

Had a referee called a flagrant, the Raptors would have received two free throws and possession of the ball with a 105-103 lead. Kyle Lowry missed a jumper on the Raptors' subsequent offensive possession after the foul call.

LeBron James then hit a shot with 30.9 seconds to tie the game at 105, and the Cavaliers won in overtime. It's fair to wonder whether the non-call altered the result of the game, though it's impossible to know how the free throws or Raptors possession would have turned out. Toronto fell apart from the field down the stretch, so even the correct call could have been for naught.

DeRozan told reporters Wednesday he asked referees why the play wasn't reviewed but was told the contact was incidental. 

"I don't know why they didn't look at it. Should have looked at it. I don't know," DeRozan said.

Based on their ruling, the NBA agrees. If this series comes down to the Cavs winning by one game, some Raptors fans may look back on that call as the one that shifted the series.