Jayson Tatum reveals the approach the Celtics took going into their matchup with the Warriors, and why they didn’t look at it as an NBA Finals rematch
The Celtics' 121-118 overtime win to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at TD Garden certainly lived up to the hype of a 2022 Finals rematch, with the Cs come away victorious and stretching their win streak to eight. But on the other side of the score column, Dub Nation might be feeling even worse after taking a look at the NBA's Last Two Minute Report.
In its latest report, the NBA admitted officials missed five calls that would have favored Golden State in the game's final two minutes of overtime out of six total incorrect calls.
First, with 1:46 left in overtime, Jayson Tatum should have been called for a defensive three-second violation.
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SIGN UP HERE "Tatum (BOS) straddles the lane line and is in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent," the report states.
Referees also failed to call a foul on Malcolm Brogdon exactly one second later, when the Celtics guard made contact with Warriors guard Jordan Poole's arm as he went up for a layup.
With 1:33 remaining in overtime, Boston veteran Al Horford also wasn't called for a three-second violation, and the NBA conceded Klay Thompson did not foul Boston's Jaylen Brown with just over one minute left as well. Brown stepped up to the free throw line and split a pair to stretch the Celtics' lead to six.
"Thompson (GSW) reaches down and makes contact with the ball and incidental contact with Brown's (BOS) hand on the ball," the report says.
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And, six seconds before the game ended, Horford should have been called for a 24-second violation. The Warriors eventually got the ball on the baseline with three seconds left and no timeouts, forcing Poole to heave a halfcourt shot and ending the game.
There was one missed call in overtime that unfairly went against the Celtics, when Boston lost possession on an out-of-bounds ball that last touched Andrew Wiggins' foot.
Golden State lost what turned out to be a one-possession game when all was said and done, so there's no telling what the outcome could have been if those five calls instead went in the Warriors' favor.
Of course, if they never had fumbled away their original lead to begin with, the Last Two Minute Report would be much less concerning to Steve Kerr's side.
