NBA referee acknowledges error in critical call against Heat in loss to Raptors

The referee who made the most significant ruling in the Miami Heat’s 107-103 Monday loss to the Toronto Raptors at Disney World said he erred and should not have judged a flagrant foul on Kelly Olynyk.

With the score tied, 92-92, Olynyk was called for a flagrant foul against Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, which immediately went to video review.

With the call upheld on the court, the Raptors were awarded two free throws and possession.

Lowry made both foul shots for a 94-92 Toronto lead. With Toronto maintaining the ball, the Raptors then got a driving layup from forward Serge Ibaka for a 96-92 lead.

The Heat would not regain the lead from that stage, after previously overcoming a 17-point deficit to move to a three-point lead moments earlier.

Crew chief David Guthrie handled the video review that led to the Flagrant 1 ruling, after the Olynyk foul was called by referee Tre Maddox.

Interviewed postgame via videoconference by a pool reporter, Guthrie said:

“So on that play, at replay, Olynyk, we judged that he took an aggressive swipe and he made some contact into the facial area of Kyle Lowry. At replay, in my judgement, I felt like that did meet the criteria for a flagrant foul. After reviewing that more postgame, and thinking about it a little bit more, to me, it now is more of a natural basketball play going for the ball and that the contact really did not rise to the criteria of a flagrant foul.”

Such a ruling at the time would have allowed the two free throws by Lowry, but would not placed the ball back in the hands of the Raptors to close out the possession.

“I know that the league office will review them as they always do all flagrant fouls and they’ll make their determinations at the end of the day on what they think they ended up, in their judgement, that it was,” Guthrie said of that call and another call earlier in the game. “But we had our judgements in the live game.”

Because of the timing of the play, it will not be addressed in the NBA’s Last Two Minute officiating report to be issued Tuesday.

While Olynyk is likely to therefore escape any sanction over the play, there is no redress for the Heat.

Guthrie also discussed an earlier ruling with Monday’s pool reporter:

Question: “Can you explain the common foul call on Goran Dragic for grabbing OG Anunoby’s ankle in the first half and whether injury factored into that decision to not assess a Flagrant Penalty 1?”

Guthrie: Injury did not really factor in on this particular play. We judged that the contact by Dragic was accidental, but it was illegal and therefore that’s why the foul was called. At replay, we did not see any windup, impact or follow through, so that’s why we ended up going with a common foul on that play.”

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