NBA confirms controversial call at the end of Thunder-Clippers Game 5
Doc Rivers didn’t agree with a call at the end of Thunder-Clippers, but apparently the NBA did.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA says that the officials made the correct call on a controversial play late in the fourth quarter of Game 5 between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a statement on Wednesday night, the league agreed with the officials’ decision that there wasn’t the “clear and conclusive” evidence required to overturn the call made on the floor.
The Clippers made a number of big mistakes as they coughed up a 13-point fourth quarter lead against the Thunder, but Doc Rivers said they were robbed by the officials. On a crucial play with 11.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the officials called the ball out on the Clippers, thus giving Oklahoma City possession. After a series of video replays, the officials ended up sticking with their original call on the court.
Doc Rivers and many members of the Clippers thought the replay clearly showed the ball going out off Reggie Jackson’s hand, but the officials disagreed.
Regardless of what the NBA announced about this call, the Clippers lost the game and Rivers will likely be fined for his postgame press conference. But it’s certainly interesting that the NBA ended up saying the officials got it right even after having the opportunity to closely examine the replay.
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