Let's talk about something that gets everyone riled up—those maddening blown calls by the refs that can completely change the outcome of a game.
The latest example comes from the heated playoff series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers-Mavs Ref Debacle
Game 2 of this series was an absolute nail-biter, with the Mavs pulling out a 96-93 win to even it up at 1-1. But the NBA's official "Last Two Minute Report" revealed that the refs completely botched two crucial calls down the stretch.
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The first one happened with 1:54 left, when Mavs big man Maxi Kleber should've been whistled for hacking Clippers center Ivica Zubac on a shot attempt.
A foul there would've sent Zubac to the charity stripe for potentially game-changing free throws, but nope, the refs missed it completely.
Then, with just 24 ticks left on the clock, Russell Westbrook tried to intentionally foul the Mavs' PJ Washington to stop the clock.
Textbook clever play, right? Well, not according to the officiators of the game, because they whiffed on that foul too! This allowed the Mavs to inbound and run a couple more precious seconds off before Derrick Jones Jr. eventually went to the line instead of Washington.
Those are two enormous, game-altering missed calls in the crunch time of a playoff slugfest. No wonder Clippers fans were furious!
The NBA refs' meltdown in the Clippers-Mavs game was bad, but it wasn't even the worst of the current playoffs. That dubious honor goes to the bonkers ending of Knicks-Sixers Game 2.
In the wildest finish you'll ever see, the Knicks escaped with a 92-91 win after a comedy of errors and blown calls by the officials.
According to the NBA's Last Two Minute Report, the refs botched four plays in the final two minutes!
Two were fouls on the pivotal turnover that led to the Knicks' game-winning three by Donte DiVincenzo.
On that play, per the NBA, Jalen Brunson clearly grabbed Tyrese Maxey's jersey, and then Josh Hart bumped Maxey to cause him to hit the deck and cough up the ball. Those should've been fouls, but the refs swallowed their whistles.
Just an absolute joke about officiating in crunch time of an iconic playoff game.
https://youtu.be/xtQxYs8gLZI
Why Do These Missed Calls Keep Happening?
Look, we all know NBA refs have an insanely demanding job trying to monitor 10 world-class athletes flying around at full speed accurately.
They'll inevitably miss some calls here and there. But these aren't just ticky-tack missed fouls - we're talking about game-deciding blown calls in the highest-leverage playoff situations.
Fans and teams deserve better than that. The players work too hard, and these games mean too much for their efforts to be undone by repeated official blunders.
The NBA needs to re-evaluate how it trains, evaluates, and holds its referees accountable.
The "Last Two Minute Report" is an embarrassing weekly reminder that NBA refs remain woefully mistake-prone. Here's hoping they finally get their act together before another all-timer gets ruined.