Report: Rockets' Audit of 2018 WCF Game 7 vs. Warriors Says Refs Cost Them Title

The Houston Rockets not only believe the officials held them back Game 1 of the second-round series against the Golden State Warriors, but they also think the refs cost them a NBA title in 2018.

The Rockets analyzed Game 7 of last year's Western Conference Finals and reported 81 missed calls and non-calls that could cost the team 18.6 points in that game alone, according to Zach Lowe and Rachel Nichols of ESPN.com.

Golden State eventually came through with a 101-92 victory in Game 7 before going on to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

While the team filed a report and created a memo to send to NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell, the memo was never sent.

The league has since provided the Rockets with a full-game report listing correct and incorrect calls, though it doesn't attach point values to the mistakes and disputes the team's argument in the memo.

"As we told the Rockets, we do not agree with their methodology," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN on Monday.

Still, Houston believes the officials were a problem throughout the series, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. The data showed the mistakes cost the team 93 points over the seven games, including double digits in six contests.

"Referees likely changed the NBA champion," the memo stated, per Lowe and Nichols.

The Rockets shot 7-of-44 from three-point range in the Game 7 loss, including 27 straight missed threes. But according to their research, they were fouled on two of those 27 attempts. 

Per Amick, "the Rockets have been making a data-driven case with the NBA for quite some time that these Super Team Warriors are getting a major officiating advantage in these heavy-hitter matchups."

The problem has continued into the current second-round matchup between the Rockets and Warriors. The league sent out its Last Two Minute Report for Game 1, featuring three missed calls that all went in Golden State's favor in an eventual 104-100 win.