NBA admits pivotal late-game no-call wrongly went Suns way
May 8, 2023, 3:51 PM
Not only were the Phoenix Suns handed a point for their owner flopping at a Nikola Jokic touch, but the home team was also wrongfully given possession of the basketball with 27 seconds left.
In a game that will long be remembered for Mat Ishbia holding the ball away from Jokic, a jump ball between Deandre Ayton and Jokic gave the Suns the ball back up three with under 30 seconds to play.
That call came just 17 seconds after Denver had to challenge a blatant out-of-bounds call to get the ball on that possession. The challenge overturned the initial call on the floor and gave the Nuggets the ball. Their turn with it ended in chaos after Jamal Murray and Jokic’s dance went nowhere. Eventually, the held ball led to the two bigs jumping for it.
That’s where the NBA said in Monday’s L2M Report that, “Ayton grabs and holds down Jokic’s right shoulder, affecting Jokic’s ability to compete for the jump ball.” They deemed it to be an incorrect no-call and the Nuggets should’ve had another shot with the rock down three with 27 seconds to play.
The NBA just published their L2M and said this should’ve been a foul on Ayton. Pivotal play that went Suns way pic.twitter.com/2iD3RVU7GH
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) May 8, 2023
But that’s not how it played out.
And now Denver is even with Phoenix at 2-2 entering Tuesday’s Game 5. Game 4 will go down as one of the more controversial Nuggets playoff losses ever.
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