NBA admits referee errors at end of recent Mavericks, Pacers losses

Congratulations Dallas and Indiana, you will have the satisfaction of forever knowing you were right and the referees were wrong at the end of your recent close losses, missing potentially game-changing calls.

That and $4 gets you a grande latte at Starbucks.

Wednesday the NBA admitted two blown calls in recent games.

In Monday night’s Pacers loss to the Nuggets, the game was tied 101-101 with 4 seconds left when Paul George started his move for a final shot on Andre Iguodala, made contact, knocked the ball away and stole it, then called timeout with 0.5 seconds left. Here is what the league said:

After review at the league office, video replay confirmed that NBA Officials missed a foul call… Iguodala reached for the ball and made illegal body contact which forced Indiana’s Paul George to lose possession. George should have been granted two free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining in the game.

Instead Denver ran an alley-oop for Iguodala from out-of-bounds for Iguodala and George got called for the foul — he made contact backing into Iggy but it’s not a call you normally see at that point. Iguodala got free throws, hit one and the Nuggets won.

For Dallas, it was Tuesday night at the end of a dramatic game in Portland, a 104-104 with 4 seconds left. O.J. Mayo drove the lane for what he hoped would be a winning bucket but he was called for the charge. From the league:

After review at the league office, the video replay confirmed the play should have been ruled a blocking foul as Portland’s Ronnie Price did not get his body directly in Mayo’s path prior to him starting his upward shooting motion. Mayo should have been granted two free throws.

Instead, Portland got the ball back with 1.7 seconds left and LaMarcus Aldridge hit the game winner.