Refs admit mistake — too late for Blazers

A blown call in the closing seconds cost the Portland Trail Blazers a tying bucket against the Utah Jazz and left one of the NBA’s biggest stars livid.

With the Blazers trailing 116114 late in Friday night’s game in Salt Lake City, Damian Lillard drove for a potential game-tying lay-up. Jazz centre Rudy Gobert contested at the rim and got a piece of the ball, but only after Lillard’s shot had hit the backboard. Referees missed the obvious goaltending call, and Utah gathered the rebound. After a Portland intentional foul, Bojan Bogdanovic made one of two free throws, Caleb Swanigan missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, and the Jazz won 117-114.

Replays clearly showed Lillard’s shot hit the backboard before Gobert touched the ball. Even in real time, it appeared clear there should have been a whistle for goaltending.

After the final buzzer sounded, Lillard was irate. He had to be held back by an assistant coach while he yelled expletives at the departing referees. Lillard’s anger carried over into the post-game locker room.

“It’s an easy call. Three referees out there and they don’t call that,” Lillard said.

Lillard was most upset about how the loss could potentially impact Portland in the Western Conference standings. The Blazers dropped to 24-29 and 21⁄ 2 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for eighth place. Portland was one game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and 21⁄ 2 ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns in the tight race for the final West playoff spot.

Crew chief Josh Tiven did admit in the post-game pool report that officials missed the call, but they could not review the play because goaltending was not called on the floor.

“Goaltending is only reviewable if we actually call it. The call needs to be made for a goaltending to be reviewable,” Tiven said. “We’ve since looked it via post-game video review and unfortunately saw that we missed the play, and a goaltending violation should have been called.”