Getty Image / Matthew Stockman
NBA referees get a lot of criticism on a seemingly nightly basis. And, many times, it’s deserved. Unlike 20 years ago, clips of missed calls from any and every NBA game are easily accessible with a simple Twitter search. And, a big call in Sunday’s NBA Finals game has everyone talking about it.
After a big run by the Miami Heat in the early 4th quarter, they took a commanding lead over the Nuggets that reached double digits. But, Denver launched a furious comeback, and had a shot to send the game to overtime in the final seconds, only for it to come up just short, handing game 2 and a tied series to the Heat.
MIAMI HEAT TIES THE SERIES 1-1 WITH A MISSED THREE POINT ATTEMPT FROM JAMAL MURRAY 😱 pic.twitter.com/OzNyu29029
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) June 5, 2023
But, there was a key play in the game that may have swung game 2 of the NBA Finals earlier in that fourth quarter. I guess it would be more accurate to say non-call. Take a look at this play, which was not called goaltending.
Did Bam Adebayo and the Heat get away with goaltending on this block on Jamal Murray?
Good no-call or missed goaltend? 🤔pic.twitter.com/ilkAjLqIg3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 5, 2023
Yeah, that’s a clear goaltending. And, with the game ending up with such a close score, the missed call could have a huge impact on not only who won game 2 but who wins the entire NBA Finals. And, fans and pundits alike were fired up about it.
That was as bad a missed goaltending call as you will see all season. Completely ridiculous miss in a game of these stakes.
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) June 5, 2023
Goaltending should be reviewable.
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) June 5, 2023
That missed obvious goaltending call by the refs proved to be a big deal…
— JB Denver Sports (@JB_DenverSports) June 5, 2023
That’s an egregiously bad missed goaltending.
— Sagar Trika (@BlazersBySagar) June 5, 2023
A lot of calls in a game, but man, that missed goaltending….
— M. Haubs (@mhaubs) June 5, 2023
Let’s hope there aren’t more game-changing screw-ups coming from the referees in the NBA Finals.