Three foul calls that favored the Lakers in the final two minutes of Saturday’s game between Orlando and Los Angeles at Kia Center were ruled to be incorrect, the NBA shared Sunday afternoon.
First, Lakers center Deandre Ayton committed a defensive three seconds violation — meaning he stood in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent — with 1:22 left in the game, according to the NBA’s last two minute report.
Then, Ayton committed a second defensive three seconds violation roughly a minute later with 25.6 seconds remaining, the report said.
Lastly, the NBA found that Magic forward Tristan da Silva didn’t actually foul Ayton with 5.5 seconds left on the clock, according to the report. Da Silva was able to get his hand to the ball to begin to dislodge it before incidental contact occurred with Ayton’s arm, the report said.
Instead, Ayton was sent to the free throw line where he made the first of two shots. Orlando grabbed the rebound on the miss and called timeout. Lakers star LeBron James then forced a Magic turnover on the ensuing inbounds attempt, which eventually set up Luke Kennard’s game-wining 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left in the game.
The turnover committed by the Magic was challenged and reviewed during the game, but Orlando’s challenge was deemed unsuccessful. The last two minute report confirmed Sunday that the out-of-bounds call was correct.
The report also said the out-of-bounds call from Paolo Banchero‘s block on James was correct as well. Kennard’s game-winner secured a 105-104 victory over the Magic for Los Angeles, its ninth win in a row.
For Orlando, the loss was its fourth straight.
The last two minute report is the league’s assessment of officiated events that occurred in the last two minutes of last night’s games that were at or within three points during any point in the last two-minutes of the fourth quarter (and overtime, where applicable), according to the NBA. The plays assessed include all calls (whistles) and notable non-calls.
Although the league found three calls that went the direction of the Lakers to be incorrect, it’s highly unlikely the final outcome will change.
Teams are required to demonstrate that there was a misapplication of the official playing rules, as opposed to an error in judgment by game officials, according to the NBA.
And it’s rare for protests to be upheld. The last time a protest by an NBA team was upheld came during the 2007-08 season.
Ultimately, the Magic are aware they could have executed better down the stretch in order to give themselves a chance to secure a win regardless of what was called or not by the officials. Orlando led by five points entering the fourth quarter and again by five with 50 seconds left.
“We just didn’t execute,” Magic guard Desmond Bane told the Orlando Sentinel in the locker room after the one-point loss. “Didn’t execute the inbound play. Didn’t execute on defense. … We’ve just got to be better.”
Doncic, Bitadze technicals rescinded
The NBA also reviewed the double technical fouls called on Lakers star Luka Doncic and Magic center Goga Bitadze.
The two were observed talking back-and-forth towards each other when Doncic was at the free throw line late in the third quarter. The conversation continued down the court and they were both handed a technical.
The league said Sunday both technicals were rescinded upon league office review.
Doncic claimed after the game Bitadze used strong language in Serbian about his family.
“He said at the free throw, he would (expletive) my whole family,” Doncic said “And at some point, this is basketball. … At some point, I just can’t stand it. I gotta stand up for myself. But I know I gotta do better.”
Bitadze, in a phone interview with the Sentinel and ESPN, denied making such comments and indicated Doncic said something first.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done,” Bitadze said. “And I really respect everybody’s family. Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families, and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew I understood what he said. So I just said it back. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them and that’s pretty much it.”
Magic’s Goga Bitadze, Lakers’ Luka Doncic get technicals for some tough talk
The technical foul was only Bitadze’s fifth of the season, but Doncic’s represented his 16th of the regular season. That meant Doncic would have been suspended for Monday’s game against the Pistons had it not been rescinded by the league.
Bitadze and the Magic host the Pacers on Monday.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com