Article Summary
The Indiana Pacers staged an incredible comeback to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-119 in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. The Pacers overcame a seven-point deficit with 48 seconds left, capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning 3-pointer. The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report revealed that two crucial non-calls, both lane violations, should have been made, which could have changed the outcome of the game.
Original Post
The Indiana Pacers continued what has been an absolutely breathtaking start to the second round of the NBA playoffs with an improbable 120-119 Game 2 win over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, giving them a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Indiana. The Pacers trailed by seven points with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter and were still able to pull out the victory, capped by Tyrese Haliburton’s final game-winning 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Obviously a comeback like that doesn’t happen without the leading team making a few mistakes, and the Cavs certainly played their part. However, the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report indicated that a couple of those mistakes were incorrectly officiated. Two lane violations—both in the final minute—should have been called, and each would have wiped away a Pacers basket.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers: The six mistakes Cavs made that opened the door for Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 2 heroics
Sam Quinn
The first crucial non-call came when Pacers forward Pascal Siakam missed his second free-throw attempt with 48 seconds remaining. Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith crashed the glass from outside the 3-point line, gathering the miss for a rousing put-back dunk to cut the Cleveland lead to five points. According to the league’s report, multiple players entered the lane and crossed the three-point line before the ball was released for the free throw, which should have resulted in a double lane violation and a jump ball at midcourt instead of Nesmith’s basket.
The second missed call turned out to be incredibly important, as it led to Haliburton’s game-winning shot. At the free-throw line with 12 seconds left in the game, Haliburton collected the rebound off of his own missed free throw, then dribbled out beyond the arc before breaking the Cavaliers’ hearts. According to the report, this should also have been called a double lane violation because multiple players entered the lane and crossed the three-point line before the ball was released for the free throw and because Haliburton stepped over the plane of the free throw line before the ball touched the rim. The result, again, should have been a jump ball at midcourt.
This report is likely to infuriate Cavaliers fans, but it’s important to note that lane violations occur frequently during NBA games and are rarely called, especially during crunch time of heated playoff matches. Even if the jump balls had been awarded, there’s a chance the Pacers could have won them and still scored.
Nonetheless, it’s unfortunate for the series and postseason basketball as a whole when a hard-fought match ends in controversial fashion.
What This Means
- Practical implication #1: Lane violations are notoriously difficult to officiate, particularly during high-pressure moments. The incorrect non-calls will probably lead to renewed discussions on the implementation of technology for calling such violations.
- Implication #2 with actionable advice: With officiating remaining subjective, teams and players need to focus on minimizing errors and exploiting opponents’ lapses rather than relying on correct officiating calls or blaming officials for their losses.
- Future outlook or warning: As another team gets eliminated from the postseason, fans and analysts should prepare for increased scrutiny on officiating as the playoffs progress.
Key Terms
- Lane violations
- NBA Playoffs
- Officiating
- Controversial calls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Tyrese Haliburton
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