The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report showed that there were two fouls missed in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Nov. 7.
The Cavs were disadvantaged on two plays, with the referees missing fouls by the Clippers on shots by Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
The first missed call came with 1:26 to play in the fourth quarter. Garland was fouled by Clippers guard Reggie Jackson, who initiated contact with the Cavs guard’s left arm, causing him to lose the ball.
That turnover was crucial for Los Angeles as it erased a major deficit in the fourth quarter. The Clippers trailed by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, but they came back to win. Two free throws by Kevin Love gave the Cavs a 111-98 lead with just five minutes left in the fourth.
The Clippers went on to close the game on a 21-6 run to snap the Cavs’ eight-game winning streak.
While the call on Garland was certainly impactful, there was another missed call just a few moments later as well. Big man Jarrett Allen did not get a foul call with 1:11 left in the game on a shot near the rim.
The Last Two Minute Report states that Paul George “jumps from point A to point B and delivers body contact to Allen” which affected the Cavs center’s shot at the rim.
In such a close game, both missed calls are huge because the Cavs would have had another chance to get points. If the call on George is made, Allen would have shot two free throws with the team up 112-110.
Even though the Cavs and their fans have to hate seeing these missed calls, Cleveland squandered too many chances down the stretch against the Clippers.
Garland and Donovan Mitchell both missed free throws in the final 12 seconds of the game that could have brought the Cavs closer.
Despite the loss, Cleveland is still second in the Eastern Conference with a 8-2 record through its first 10 games. Only the Milwaukee Bucks (9-1) have a better record than the Cavs so far this season in the East.
Hopefully, Cleveland doesn’t have to rely on getting calls late in its next game, especially if it is able to build another double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
