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You can file this one under: Gee, thanks, NBA.
The league offers a Last Two Minute Report after games as an effort toward transparency with regard to officiating. Since nothing alters the actual outcome, reading through the report can be a painful process after a loss.
Fortunately, Dan Feldman from NBC's Pro Basketball Talk did the dirty work following the Pacers loss to the Kings on Wednesday and found a couple of key missed calls in the final 30 seconds of the game that went against the Pacers.
Here are the two key violations that were not called against the Kings when the Pacers were trying to get a stop to have another chance to tie the game.
However, the NBA ruled Cousins should have been called for an offensive foul with 20.8 seconds left:
Cousins (SAC) holds Hill's (IND) left arm and affects his ability to defend the pass.
Considering Cousins got away with that, the league said Collison should have been called for travelling with 11.8 seconds left:
Collison (SAC) receives the ball while on his left foot, establishing his pivot. He then moves both feet when Ellis (IND) jumps to defend his shot. Since he has drawn Ellis into the air, the referee is focused on any contact to the shooter.
The Pacers held Sacramento scoreless on the possession and grabbed the rebound, but the missed calls did damage.
As Feldman details thoroughly (with video, so please check it out), the Pacers still needed to score but considering the Kings had fouls to give, having more time would obviously have helped the Pacers.
See, this is simply frustrating, isn't it? A league-endorsed, coulda, shoulda, woulda exercise. The frustration is eased a bit considering Paul George appeared hell-bent on taking and making a big shot at the end of the game and he just couldn't put the ball in the hoop, so that extra 16 seconds wasn't the only reason the Pacers lost.