NBA Stands firm on Controversial call at end of OKC Thunder game

The OKC Thunder were on the wrong end of a controversial call on Friday against the Golden State Warriors on Friday. It was the team’s first-ever In-Season Tournament games and one of the best matchups on the slate.

The two teams battled down to the wire, trading blows in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away with 11 ticks to go. Golden State took their time on their final possession, with Steph Curry not releasing his shot until the red light-triggered. That is when the mayhem broke out.

NBA stands by the Controversial call at the end of the Warriors vs. OKC Thunder In-Season Tournament game.

When Steph Curry blew past Lu Dort to finish for a layup, it was a “tip your cap” moment. The Thunder, without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup, went toe-to-toe with a dynastic Warriors group that was fully healthy.

If you told the OKC Thunder that each game would need a defensive stop from Lu Dort, they would sign up and trust their defensive ace. Dort did the same against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers at the end of last season.

This time, the Hall of Famer, the top ten player in the sport’s history, slithered his way past Dort for the bucket. However, there was some extra drama sprinkled in.

Draymond Green making contact with the rim was initially called an offensive interference to wipe away the game-winning bucket from Curry. The officiating crew reviewed that call and elected to reverse it, letting the play stand. This sent OKC Thunder fans into a tizzy and put a damper on an otherwise thrilling game.

The NBA issued their last two-minute report on this game, and they are standing by the ruling of the no offensive goaltending. The League, to their credit, have been unashamed to admit when their officials made the wrong decision, but they say this was the right call.

Ultimately, the OKC Thunder have to put this game in the rearview mirror and focus on tonight’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.