NBA says James Harden committed offensive foul on game-winner to beat Warriors

The Rockets beat the 73-win Warriors Thursday night! It happened, and nobody can take that away! Thanks to a wild finish and a James Harden game-winner, the Rockets won 97-96 to earn a win in a series many felt would be a sweep.

However, the NBA has come to put a damper on the win. The NBA’s Last Two Minute report from the league’s officiating department says that Harden committed an offensive foul on his game-winning shot, as he “initiates the contact” and “dislodges [Andre Iguodala] from his legal guarding position.”

You be the judge -- was this a push-off?

I can see why the league thinks this was an offensive foul, but I’m not surprised it went uncalled -- for better or worse, refs often avoid making bang-bang judgment calls in the closing seconds of close games.

If a ref had blown the whistle here the Warriors would’ve had the ball and the lead with five seconds left and probably would have won.

For what it’s worth, the missed calls went both ways -- the report also says Iguodala committed a foul on an inbounds pass with 14 seconds to go. That play prevented Michael Beasley from catching an inbounds pass and led to a Warriors steal and basket to take the lead.

The NBA began issuing an official report on every call in the last two minutes of close games last February in the name of transparency. About 18 years too late for Jazz fans, sadly.