No New Orleans sports team can catch a break from the referees. Over the weekend, the Saints got screwed — again — by a bad pass interference no-call at the end of the game (let’s not even get into the Saints/Rams from a year ago).
Monday night, down two with time running out, Brandon Ingram drove the length of the court, went right at two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, got hit on the arm as the shot went up, but no call. Utah won 128-126.
Better Angle of Brandon Ingram’s Last Second Short Attempt pic.twitter.com/Nm3os7i2kV
— The Render (@TheRenderNBA2) January 7, 2020
The referees went to replay, but they could only look and see if the shot was taken in time and if seconds should have been added to the clock. Because there was no foul call, there was nothing for the referees to review and rule on with the shot attempt.
NBA Referee Kane Fitzgerald Comments to Pool Reporter after Jazz-Pelicans game pic.twitter.com/vOYkS8Wipn
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) January 7, 2020
Ingram’s drive was coast-to-coast, he had gotten the rebound off a Bojan Bogdanovic miss, and when he did both coach Alvin Gentry and J.J. Redick tried to call timeout, and the officials did not see the request.
Gentry said #Pelicans were trying to call timeout (they had one timeout left) in final 5 seconds after Bogdanovic missed a shot at the other end, but the timeout wasn't granted. Ingram drove all the way to the other baseline before shooting against Gobert
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) January 7, 2020
It’s the kind of play that should lead to a discussion of how instant replay is used. Unless you ask J.J. Redick.
FWIW we asked JJ Redick after the game if he thought those kind of plays should be reviewed at the end of games.
He said there are enough reviews at the end of games as is. At some point, you have to allow the refs to make a call and trust their judgement. https://t.co/hQMwHNCezR
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 7, 2020