Officials admit missed call on Kelly Oubre Jr.’s final drive of Sixers loss
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough ending to a 108-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. After Clippers star Kawhi Leonard converted an And-1 with 15.7 seconds left, the Sixers had one last chance.
Kelly Oubre Jr. drove to the basket, was blocked by Leonard, but the Sixers did get a jump ball out of it because of a wedgie. Off the jump ball, Oubre drove to the basket again. He wasn’t able to get a shot off before time expired, but it also looked like there was a ton of contact on the Clippers.
That led to Oubre and coach Nick Nurse going off on the officials afterward in what was a heartbreaking ending.
“I think he took it in there pretty hard, right?” asked Nurse after the game. “I looked at it on our computer a couple of times. I thought it was certainly contact, certainly as much as the last two or three that got called in ones at the other end, and that’s all. I just thought it was enough contact a call, but that’s where it goes sometimes. If we don’t turn it over a couple times, right.”
In a pool report, crew chief Kevin Scott admitted that the officials got the call wrong:
On the last play on the floor, in real time the crew interpreted that play as the defender jumping vertically. However, in post-game video review we did observe some slight drift to his left by the defender George, and a foul should have been ruled.
It’s a tough break for the Sixers. Oubre’s final drive should have put him on the line with a chance to win, but it wasn’t meant to be. Philadelphia will now look to move forward with two games on the road.
