Did no-call goaltend cost Hornets a win vs. Suns? NBA makes its ruling
The NBA says the Charlotte Hornets weren’t the victim of an uncalled goaltending violation in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The NBA’s last two minute report said Suns center Deandre Ayton touched the ball outside the imaginary cylinder above the basket ring in the last four seconds of the fourth quarter. Hornets coach James Borrego felt goaltending occurred on that play.
Had goaltending been called, Hornets guard Devonte Graham’s 3-pointer would have been ruled good, likely resulting in Charlotte winning in regulation. Instead, the game went into overtime, where the Suns prevailed 101-97.
Borrego requested a coach’s challenge, but that’s not allowed for goaltending/basket interference with less than two minutes left in regulation. Also, the NBA said neither the referees in Charlotte nor the NBA’s review center could trigger a review before overtime since there was no initial call of goaltending.
Twice during his postgame media availability Sunday, Borrego said he felt goaltending occurred. Borrego also mentioned the NBA acknowledged two officiating mistakes late in Friday’s Hornets-Miami Heat game that disadvantaged the Hornets, but Charlotte still won.
Because of overtime Sunday, the NBA reviewed 35 plays in the Hornets-Suns last-two-minute report. Two plays were determined as officiating mistakes and both those mistakes benefited the Hornets: Charlotte forward P.J. Washington should have been called for an offensive foul on Phoenix’s Jae Crowder, with 1:09 left in overtime. Also, in the NBA’s view, Graham “veers unnaturally” into Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges to create a foul that shouldn’t have been called with 8.2 seconds left.
Sequence in question at the end of regulation
▪ Graham took a 25-foot 3-pointer with 2.5 second left and the score tied. The shot bounced off the rim twice, then grazed the front of the rim as it fell off. Replays show Ayton touching the ball either as it grazed the rim or just after.
▪ No call was made as regulation time expired. Hornets forward Gordon Hayward can be seen protesting that goaltending should have been called.
▪ Borrego is seen twirling his index finger at the refs — the NBA’s signal to request a coach’s challenge. However, under the NBA system, a goaltend or basket interference can’t be challenged in the last two minutes of regulation or overtime.
▪ Additionally, neither the replay center nor the officiating crew in Charlotte could review replay since no call was made initially, an NBA spokesman said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 2:05 PM.
