NBA concedes missed goaltending on LeBron
LeBron James' big block of a shot by Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo at the end of Game 5 should have resulted in a goaltending call, the NBA acknowledged Thursday.
The NBA noted in its Last Two Minute Report that referees missed the call when James blocked Oladipo's shot after the ball made contact with the backboard.
The play was not reviewed, and James went on to hit a buzzer-beating 3 that gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 98-95 victory and a 3-2 series lead.
After the game, Oladipo said goaltending should have been called. That would have given Indiana a two-point lead with seconds remaining.
"I got a step on him. Felt like I even got grabbed on the way to the rim," Oladipo said. "I tried to shoot a layup, it hit the backboard, then he blocked it. ... It was a goaltend. It's hard to even speak on it. It just sucks, honestly. It really sucks. We fought our way back, we tied the game up, that layup is huge."
Joe Borgia, the NBA's senior vice president of replay and referee operations, told NBA TV on Wednesday night that the play was not reviewable because goaltending was not called on the court.
"In super-slow motion, you just see the ball hit the glass and maybe come off an inch, and that's when LeBron got it," Borgia said. "Like I said, once the ball touches the [backboard], defenders cannot touch it, and unfortunately James did."
WORST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT GOALTENDING IS A REVIEWABLE CALL SMH
LeBron James' big block of a shot by Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo at the end of Game 5 should have resulted in a goaltending call, the NBA acknowledged Thursday.
The NBA noted in its Last Two Minute Report that referees missed the call when James blocked Oladipo's shot after the ball made contact with the backboard.
The play was not reviewed, and James went on to hit a buzzer-beating 3 that gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 98-95 victory and a 3-2 series lead.
After the game, Oladipo said goaltending should have been called. That would have given Indiana a two-point lead with seconds remaining.
"I got a step on him. Felt like I even got grabbed on the way to the rim," Oladipo said. "I tried to shoot a layup, it hit the backboard, then he blocked it. ... It was a goaltend. It's hard to even speak on it. It just sucks, honestly. It really sucks. We fought our way back, we tied the game up, that layup is huge."
Joe Borgia, the NBA's senior vice president of replay and referee operations, told NBA TV on Wednesday night that the play was not reviewable because goaltending was not called on the court.
"In super-slow motion, you just see the ball hit the glass and maybe come off an inch, and that's when LeBron got it," Borgia said. "Like I said, once the ball touches the [backboard], defenders cannot touch it, and unfortunately James did."
WORST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT GOALTENDING IS A REVIEWABLE CALL SMH
