DENVER — The Denver Nuggets were on the wrong end of a few calls in the final minutes of their 128-125 overtime loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minnesota.
The league recognized in its last two-minute report released Thursday morning that two calls should have gone the Nuggets’ way. Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague should have been whistled for a five-second violation when trying to inbound the ball with 22.4 seconds remaining and Denver trailing by one. Jimmy Butler also should have been called for a backcourt violation on that same possession after Minnesota inbounded the ball.
Over the last week, players around the league have weighed in on the last two-minute report. Warriors forward Draymond Green said the report was “pointless.” LeBron James said last year that it discredits refs. As the Nuggets wrapped up their Friday afternoon practice, Michael Malone gave his take.
“I do (read the report) just for curiosity’s sake,” he said. “You see if all the calls I think they blew, if I was right or not. And really, what’s the purpose of the last two-minute report? You have to give the league credit because I think the main objective of the last two-minute report is to show all the fans across the country how transparent the league wants to be. That if we do make a mistake, we’re willing to own up to that mistake. So on that front, you can applaud the effort of being transparent and admitting when errors have been made.
“On the flip side of that for me as a coach is it does us no good. I knew it was a five-second call during the game because they had the ball for longer than five seconds, I’m counting in my head. I thought Jimmy Butler had traveled. I didn’t see the backcourt violation. So you take just that sequence of events, five-second, backcourt, travel and we get none of those plays down one with 20 seconds to go in the game. Who knows what happens? Now, it also goes the other way. Will Barton drives, they call a foul and he makes both free-throws. He didn’t get fouled. So I do read the report. I don’t know how much value is there because it doesn’t change the result. We can’t go back and play the last 22 seconds and say this was a five-second violation, Denver ball and see what happens. If they did that I’d love the last two-minute report.”
When asked if the league should continue making last two-minute reports public, Malone said, ‘I’m not sure.'”
“You applaud the effort of being transparent. I feel bad for the referees. What an unenviable job they have. You’re not keeping either coach happy. You’re not keeping any players happy. The fans, the TV announcers and then the next day when you screw up again, tell everybody across the country just exactly how you screw it up. I don’t know if it does a lot for their morale as referees, but if it’s not improving the officiating because that’s what you want. They’re going to be transparent, but all the mistakes have been made or the right calls have been made. If it’s helping the official get better in those situations, if it’s not improving the officiating in the last two minutes, I don’t really know the purpose of it aside from being, ‘Hey look, we made a mistake and we’re willing to admit it.'”
Denver’s been on the wrong side of the two-minute report before. The Nuggets filed an official protest with the league after a one-point loss in Memphis last season. Officials granted the Grizzlies possession of the ball after a controversial out-of-bounds call with 0.7 seconds remaining and the score tied. Marc Gasol then made the game-winning basket. Despite admitting that their mistake helped swing the outcome in Memphis’ direction, the league denied Denver’s protest.
You have to commend the league for their transparency, but in the end, like Malone said, the last-two-minute report doesn’t accomplish much.
