NBA Admits Officials Botched End Of Pistons-Heat Game

By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid

The Pistons suffered a devastating 97-96 loss to the Heat on Tuesday night, one that could have killed Detroit's playoff hopes.

In what amounts to salt in the wound, the NBA admitted on Wednesday the officiating crew missed two clear fouls against the Heat in the final five seconds before Hassan Whiteside tipped in the game-winning basket.

First, the officials missed Rodney McGruder shove Ish Smith in the back as Smith was trying to establish position beneath the rim. 0.4 seconds later, they missed Whiteside grab Andre Drummond's jersey as the latter was vying for a rebound.

Either foul, had it been called, would have resulted in free throws for the Pistons and all but iced the game.

On Miami's previous possession, the officials also called a dubious technical foul on Stanley Johnson for stepping on the sideline while defending an inbounds pass. Stan Van Gundy was appalled at the decision afterward.

"You might want to get a film clip of that because you won't see that call in the last minute of a game for about another five or six years, whether it happens or not," he said. "So you might want to get a film clip and save it for the archives."

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• NBA