The Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with a huge win over the upstart Charlotte Hornets. However, a controversial call very nearly cost J.B Bickerstaff’s team a win.
During the tense fourth quarter, a four-point play was awarded to Hornets guard Terry Rozier. The foul was due to Cavs backup center Ed Davis touching Rozier from the bench during a shot attempt. However, there’s a rather huge problem: the play was already blown dead. Just… watch this nonsense. (via Bleacher Report)
The baseline official blew the play dead. After that whistle, Rozier attempted his three-point shot, which the Cavs center tried to interrupt. The sideline official, seemingly not noticing that the first ref blew his whistle, called it a shooting foul. The craziest part? Rozier’s shot didn’t even go in, yet they counted it made and awarded a four-point play out of thin air!
This was simply an inexcusable error on the sideline referee’s part. How did he not notice that his fellow official already called the ball out of bounds? The Cavs bench was upset and trying to plead their case, and understandably so. They were shafted four completely undeserved points due to the referee’s incompetence.
Thankfully for Cavs fans, Jarrett Allen’s monster performance salvaged this otherwise terrible game. The center posted an insane statline that carried the team to a close one-point win. However, this blown call (along with other dubious calls for both sides) ruined what was an otherwise exciting game between two young teams looking to cement their status in the competitive Eastern Conference.