NBA refs admit to blowing call in decisive Rockets win

As if James Harden’s red eyes, Steph Curry’s struggles and Kevin Durant’s pyrotechnics weren’t enough for Game 3 of an already dramatic Warriors-Rockets series, we now have a bona fide referee error.

The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report released Sunday confirmed that Harden’s final basket, which put the Rockets up five points in overtime with 26.1 seconds left, should have been called an offensive foul.

During the play, Harden drove to the basket from the top of the arc, bowled over Draymond Green and nailed a floater. The Warriors protested, but to no avail.

Curry’s infamous missed dunk immediately followed, sealing the 126-121 win for the Rockets and breathing new life into the series. The NBA’s report also found that Chris Paul’s jumping into Klay Thompson during a jump ball in the final seconds of regulation should have drawn a whistle.

Of course, the Warriors didn’t seem to worried about the loss after the game.

Via Yahoo Sports Chris Haynes: “You watched that game, didn’t you?” Green told Yahoo Sports, after registering a triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

“OK, then. We’ll be just fine.”

The Rockets getting their game-sealing basket through a significant officiating error would strengthen that point.

However the series shakes out from here, at least the Rockets have another data point for this year’s officiating analysis.

With Yahoo Sports US – Jack Baer