The Western Conference playoff race is an absolute bloodbath, and the NBA league office just threw a massive can of gasoline on the fire.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ thrilling overtime victory against the Denver Nuggets over the weekend a win that pushed L.A. to their eighth victory in nine games the NBA released its official Last Two Minute (L2M) Report. The findings have left Nuggets fans absolutely furious.
According to the official league audit, the Lakers directly benefited from a crucial, incorrect foul call in the final seconds of regulation. Trailing by three points with under 10 seconds remaining, Austin Reaves was stripped of the ball by Nuggets forward Spencer Jones. Reaves was awarded a shooting foul and sank the ensuing free throws, allowing the Lakers to intentionally miss the next possession, grab the rebound, and tie the game.
However, the NBA has officially ruled that Jones made clean contact with the ball. The foul should never have been called. Had the correct no call been made, the Nuggets would have likely secured possession and iced the game, preventing Luka Dončić from eventually hitting the game-winner in overtime.
While blown calls happen every night, the ramifications of this specific error are seismic. The Lakers currently hold sole possession of the #3 seed in the West by just half a game, while the Nuggets are fighting for their lives in the #5 spot. In a conference separated by razor-thin margins, a single phantom whistle might have just altered the entire playoff bracket.
