The NBA says Kendrick Perkins should have been whistled for offensive basket interference late in the fourth quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder's narrow Game 1 win over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Unfortunately, Perkins wasn't whistled, and the basket Perkins made on the play helped clinch the Thunder win. The basket gave Oklahoma City a 102-101 with a touch over a minute left; the Thunder got a stop and Russell Westbrook hit a jumper to give OKC a 104-101 lead. Denver couldn't convert an attempt to tie, and that was that.
NBA Admits Referees Blew Call On Kendrick Perkins Offensive Basket Interference
While the play looked tough to gauge from the primary TV angle, just about every Nuggets immediately signaled that Perk was guilty of a goaltend, and the closer angle replay verified that allegation.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, offensive basket interference is not reviewable by referees; whatever the officials call in realtime stands, unless other officials immediately change the call. Expect the NBA to consider adding late-game basket interference calls to the short list of those reviewable at referees' discretion.
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