Referees missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic getting fouled with 33 seconds left in Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA said Monday.
The Lakers were down 114-113 in Sunday’s game when Doncic got tripped up — it appeared to be advertent — by Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels near midcourt. Doncic retained possession as he hit the floor, and the Lakers called a timeout to avoid an eight-second violation.
That was one of two uncalled fouls that came late in one-point playoff games Sunday, the other being New York’s Josh Hart fouling Detroit’s Tim Hardaway Jr. on a 3-point shot as time expired in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference series. Hardaway didn’t get free throws and the Knicks won 94-93, with the NBA saying shortly afterward that Hardaway indeed was fouled.
“McDaniels (MIN) steps forward into Doncic’s (LAL) path, initiating illegal foot contact that causes him to lose his balance,” the NBA said Monday in its Last Two Minute Report on the Timberwolves-Lakers game. The NBA releases those reports the day after games when the margin is three points or less at any time in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.
Doncic put it more directly. “I got tripped, for sure,” he said.
Had the foul been called, Doncic would have gone to the free throw line with a chance to tie the score or give the Lakers the lead. Instead, Minnesota stole LeBron James’ ensuing inbounds pass and Anthony Edwards made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left for a 116-113 lead.
That play also raised the Lakers’ ire, with James saying he hit Edwards on the hand and caused what he thought should have been a turnover. The NBA reviewed that play in real time and ruled that James hit Edwards on the wrist and deemed it a foul.
“That play happens all the time,” James said after the game. “Hand is part of the ball. That’s what they said. I feel like the hand was a part of that ball.”
The Lakers’ Austin Reaves missed a potential tying 3-pointer on the game’s final play, and Minnesota won by three.
The Knicks and Timberwolves both took 3-1 leads after Sunday’s wins. Detroit will be at New York for Game 5 of that series Tuesday, and the Lakers will host Minnesota in Game 5 on Wednesday.
