The Warriors had no Kevin Durant, no Draymond Green and no timeouts when they made the play that sealed their 104-99 win over the Houston Rockets in Wednesday's Game 5 of the NBA playoff second-round series.
With Durant injured and Green on the bench after fouling out, Golden State guard Klay Thompson brought the ball up court at Oracle Arena after Rockets star James Harden cut the Warriors' lead to 102-99. Harden and teammate Chris Paul trapped Thompson along the right sideline, and Thompson appeared to throw away the ball.
But Kevon Looney somehow came up with the ensuing loose ball and dished to a cutting Thompson, whose dash to the basket dashed the Rockets' hopes.
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SIGN UP HERE The ensuing layup ensured the Warriors' win, but it wasn't necessarily without controversy. A replay angle seemingly indicated that Thompson's right foot was out of bounds when Harden and Paul trapped him along the sideline.
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Had the officials called Thompson out of bounds, the Rockets would have just under 11 seconds left in regulation to erase a three-point deficit and force overtime. The Warriors, sans Durant and Green, likely wouldn't have had much gas left in the tank to fend off Houston for another five minutes.
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The NBA's Last Two Minute Report will be one to watch Thursday, considering the officiating already has been under the microscope earlier in this series. Depending on the league's determination on the play, it could find its way back there again.
