NBA admits huge officiating error in chaotic end to Nuggets-Wolves

The wild sequence at the end of Tuesday’s Nuggets-Wolves game, where Russell Westbrook bricked a layup and committed a game-losing call never happens if the referees get a call right just a few seconds before.

The NBA revealed in their Last Two-Minute Report on Wednesday that a late-game play that resulted in a jump ball should have been Denver’s ball to begin with. Instead, the officials didn’t see who the out-of-bounds rock last went off of and called a midcourt jumpball. It led to a chaotic ending where the Wolves won in double overtime 140-139.

Down 138-137 with 20 seconds left in the sixth period, Westbrook went to the line where he split two free throws. Missing the second shot, the out-of-bounds appeared to go off of a Wolves player, but the referees didn’t see it and called a jump ball. With both teams out of challenges from lost reviews earlier in the game, the play stuck as a jump ball.

“Both teams were out of challenges at the time of the out of bounds, therefore you can’t review it,” Crew Chief Sean Wright said after the game.

The NBA said on Wednesday that, yes indeed, the ball last went off of Julius Randle and should’ve been given to the Nuggets.

That out-of-bounds play can be viewed here.

But the Nuggets lost their challenge midway through the second quarter on an Aaron Gordon charge. However, the Nuggets likely would’ve already used their challenge and possibly won the game when it was 111-110 late in the fourth quarter, and Nikola Jokic appeared to rip the ball clean from Rudy Gobert. Jokic quickly tossed a pass up-court to a wide-open Peyton Watson, who would’ve given the Nuggets a lead. Instead, Gobert hit the pair, and Jokic was given a fifth foul. That call was confirmed as correct in the L2M report.

Fast forward to the jump ball.

It was nullified by a loose ball foul that sent Jokic to the free-throw line. He also split his shots to give the Nuggets a 139-138 lead with 17 seconds left.

But that jump doesn’t even happen if the Nuggets have their challenge or if the officials on the spot review it or just make the correct call to begin with.

So the Nuggets would’ve been able to run the clock down to about five seconds and taken a shot at a winner in a tie game. The Wolves still had a timeout and could have responded by moving the ball into the frontcourt. It’s unclear how the game goes if the correct call is made with 20 seconds left. What is apparent is that Westbrook’s double gaffe never occurs. There simply would’ve been way less time left in the game if the Nuggets got the ball outright instead of Jokic getting fouled on the jump.

In reality, after Jokic put foul shots, the Wolves advanced the ball and drew up a third chance to win at the horn. Edwards got the inbounds pass but was trapped in the corner. His pass to Randle was taken by Westbrook, who sprinted up the floor. Joined by Braun, the two played catch, with Westbrook taking a layup with nine seconds left, which ended up being the Nuggets’ final shot. He missed. The Wolves rallied the rebound and hurried up the floor, where the ball made its way to Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the corner. His shot was not close, but Westbrook’s uncontrolled contest sent him to the line where NAW won it for the Wolves. That play was reviewed to see if there was time left when Westbrook was called for the foul, and that was unclear.

“Once we go to the monitor, the play is reviewed, and we see what time the illegal contact actually happened, the illegal contact occurred at 0.1, therefore, 0.1 is then put on the clock and you shoot the three free throws and play with that time,” Wright explained.

The L2M confirmed that the shooting foul that ended the game was the right call.

But if we were living in L2M’s world, Westbrook is probably never in that situation to begin with. Jokic likely backs down a defender and takes a late-clock shot just like he did in the first overtime.