NBA agrees with officials that ruled marginal contact between Jarrett Allen and Ausar Thompson legal, denying Detroit a late whistle and pushing the Pistons to the brink of playoff elimination.
Should there have been a foul called on Jarrett Allen?
A controversial no-call at the end of the Cleveland Cavaliers' late comeback against the Detroit Pistons was supported by the NBA, the league shared via its Last Two Minute Report.
As the clock ticked to all zeroes at the end of regulation, contact between Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Pistons guard Ausar Thompson did not draw a foul. Much to the dismay of the Pistons and their fanbase, the ball instead trickled out of bounds with 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
The NBA's explanation said that the two players did "legally step to the same spot while pursuing the loose ball [before either player has possession], and both lose their balance from the marginal contact."
That was after the call was considered "incidental contact" on the floor.
For more on the Pistons' protest of the non-call, headlined by comments from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Pistons Roundtable writer Eric Rutter has an in-depth look.
The game then went into overtime, where Cleveland was able to separate from Detroit to bring home a pivotal Game 5 win by. score of 117-113. The Pistons now face potential elimination on Friday night.
There haven't been many officiating gaffes this postseason drawing attention away from the results and excitement of the matchup, a positive for any playoff period. While this call, or lack thereof, isn't likely to spur much debate immediately, it magnifies the importance of officiating going into a game that could decide the series between the two clubs.
Had a foul been called for the the light collision, Thompson would have been sent to the line for potentially game-winning free throw attempts.
All eyes will be on the Pistons' ability to bounce back in Game 6. While Bickerstaff acknowledged frustration about the lack of foul call after the game, he also highlighted the other missed opportunities his team had throughout the game.