With 1:20 left in overtime of Game 5, the Rockets led the Spurs by one and had the ball. Twenty-four seconds later, San Antonio led by two.
What changed?
LaMarcus Aldridge got a steal, and Danny Green hit a 3-pointer en route to the Spurs’ 110-107 win.
Also: Aldridge got away with two violations, according to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report.
While stealing the ball from James Harden, Aldridge should have been called for a foul with 1:19 left, per the league:
Aldridge (SAS) make contact to Harden’s (HOU) arm and affect his ability to pass the ball.
On the other end, Aldridge got away with an offensive three-second violation with 1:06 left, according to the league:
Aldridge (SAS) is in the paint for longer than three seconds.
A correct call would’ve resulted in a turnover. Instead, the Spurs kept the ball – which they had only because of the incorrect no-call on Aldridge’s steal – and Green hit a 3-pointer.
We can’t know what would have happened with correct calls down the stretch, but those were two huge swings in a game that was separated by just two points once Houston began intentionally fouling.
The two-minute report also includes three other uncalled violations – but all three were offensive, and the offending team didn’t score anyway. Those were washes. Aldridge’s uncalled foul and three-second violation were the only noteworthy missed calls in the report.