The Milwaukee Bucks have gone via a fairly tough patch this season with out officers making any obvious errors.
The Bucks’ newest loss got here Saturday in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets, through which the sport turned on a single drive that resulted in LaMelo Ball on the bottom and the referees blowing the whistle. The Bucks led 114-113 with 7.3 seconds left when Ball bought two free throws, which he made.
The foul was known as in opposition to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, however replay confirmed he did little greater than brush the ball together with his hand. The ball simply slipped as he began to take a route, or because the Hornets broadcast places it, tripped over his personal Pumas:
Sadly for the Bucks, they did not have a problem to clear the foul. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had his two challenges remaining with three minutes left, however efficiently used one to name off a foul on Andre Jackson Jr. with 2:46 left, then used with out success the opposite to contest an enchantment on Taurean Prince.
Antetokounmpo, who had a triple-double with 22 factors, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, was unsurprisingly livid with the officers.
The decision was egregious sufficient that crew chief Curtis Blair admitted his crew blew it after the sport in an interview with a pool reporter. If Rivers had held out for another problem, he would have gained it.
QUESTION: What was the ultimate determination concerning the affirmation of the enchantment?
BLAIR: In the course of the stay play, we known as unlawful leg-to-leg contact. In post-game overview, once we reviewed the play, there was no unlawful contact on the play.
QUESTION: So if there had been a problem, which there wasn’t at the moment as a result of Milwaukee did not have one obtainable, that decision would have been overturned?
Rivers agreed, through Athletics:
“There was clearly no foul,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned. “Whenever you watch the video, the referee was blocked by considered one of our gamers. You possibly can’t guess on the finish of the sport. Each groups performed too exhausting.
The loss was one other brutal one for the Bucks, who’re 4-9 this season and 21-28 below Doc Rivers. The crew was lacking star level guard Damian Lillard, who stays within the concussion protocol, however was in the end taken out by an 18-5 free throw disparity.
