NBA admits refs missed Gordon out-of-bounds call in Warriors’ loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
One call did not go the Warriors’ way in their nailbiting 108-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at Ball Arena.
With Golden State trailing 105-102 with 58 seconds remaining in the game, Warriors guard Chris Pulled missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer before the ball bounced off the hands of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. on the rebound. Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins then saved the errant ball from going out of bounds and attempted a pass to guard Klay Thompson but was intercepted by Denver forward Aaron Gordon.
Gordon, falling backward near the Warriors’ bench, passed the intercepted ball to Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who immediately was fouled by Wiggins, resulting in two free-throw attempts at the other end of the floor.
However, according to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report released Thursday afternoon, the league determined that the refs missed a crucial call in that sequence and Gordon actually stepped out of bounds after intercepting Wiggins’ pass.
NBA’s comment: “Gordon (DEN) pivots off of his foot and steps out of bounds while still in possession of the ball.”
If called correctly, the Warriors would have been awarded possession of the ball instead of the ensuing foul on Caldwell-Pope which resulted in two made Nuggets free throws and a 107-102 Denver lead.
Although there’s no guarantee the correct call would have changed the Warriors’ fortunes in the game, Golden State, down three at the time of the missed call, would have had an opportunity to tie or make it a one-point game with a basket on the rewarded possession.
In a very close game decided by one score, it’s hard for Warriors fans not to imagine what could have gone differently if the call was made.
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