Dwyane Wade received an inbound pass with 2.7 seconds left and the Heat down two points to the Pacers last night. Wade drove to the rim and hit a layup to send the game to overtime, where Miami won.
How did Wade beat Paul George on the play?
With help of an uncalled illegal screen by Chris Bosh, according to the NBA’s last Two Minute Report:
You can see George lose a little balance on the contact from Bosh.
Of course, we don’t know with absolute certainly the Pacers would’ve won with a correct call. But the odds tilt heavily toward any team with a two-point lead and the ball with just 2.7 seconds remaining.
In overtime, the Heat got another break from the referees.
Justise Winslow missed a free throw with 5.8 seconds left and Miami up two. But, in a role reversal, Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound thanks to an uncalled foul by Wade.
Wade should’ve been called for a loose-ball foul on Ian Mahinmi, according to the league:
The Heat were in the penalty, so a correct call would’ve sent Mahinmi – a 59% career free-throw shooter – to the line for two shots with Indiana down two and 5.8 seconds remaining.
Great odds? No. If Mahinmi’s career percentage represented his true odds on those attempts, he would’ve had just a 35% chance of making both. However, the Pacers also would’ve had the ability to offensively rebound the ball if he missed the second.
Instead, Bosh got intentionally fouled after collecting the loose ball. He split at the line to give Miami a three-point lead with 3.9 seconds remaining.
Indiana has made 37% of its 3-pointers this season, though few have those attempts have come so rushed and with the opponent knowing the Pacers needed a triple. Their odds in that moment were clearly far less than 37%.
George missed a tightly contested 3-pointer, and the Heat hung on for a 103-100 win.
If the Pacers feel they’ve gotten bad breaks from the refs in the last week, they should.