In what might be deemed one of the most inconsequential requirements in professional sports, the Phoenix Suns found themselves victim to a missed call in the final two minutes of their matchup against the Lakers on Friday, as revealed in the NBA’s Last Two Minutes (L2M) report.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Admittedly, these reports don’t necessarily lead to any tangible changes, as there’s nothing the league can do once the game concludes.
Instead, they provide fans with an opportunity to dwell in a pool of “what-ifs” and assign blame to officials for the final score, even if the call ultimately didn’t impact the outcome.
In the case of the Suns, the missed call occurred with less than 1:30 left, with them trailing by just two points.
Desperately needing a stop, the Suns allowed the Lakers to grab consecutive offensive rebounds, paving the way for Cam Reddish to sink a dagger three in the corner.
However, overlooked in this sequence of rebounds was the fact that Anthony Davis was stationed inside the lane, warranting a three-second call that should have resulted in a turnover.
NBA’s L2M report says there was an incorrect non-call on the possession where the Lakers got multiple offensive rebounds resulting in a Cam Reddish dagger 3 against the Suns. League says Anthony Davis should’ve been whistled for 3 seconds in the lane pic.twitter.com/cgCtHjHcac
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 11, 2023
Of course, the Suns should have never been in that position if they did not blow a large lead in the second half.
At one point, Phoenix led by 14 in the third quarter.
Despite this, now that fans are aware of the missed call, a scapegoat has emerged, providing them with a plausible excuse for the Suns’ loss.
