Lakers-Nuggets, NBA Admits Officiating Error: “Clean Steal on Austin Reaves”
The NBA Last Two Minute Report revisits a key play from Lakers-Nuggets, acknowledging that the contact between Spencer Jones and Austin Reaves should have been ruled a clean steal
The matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets continues to generate discussion even hours after the final buzzer. The 127-125 Lakers victory in overtime, sealed by a game-winner from Luka Doncic, featured several dramatic moments, but one of the most important plays has now been reassessed by the NBA.
In the Last Two Minute Report, released the day after the game, the league acknowledged an officiating mistake involving Austin Reaves in the final seconds of regulation.
The contact with Spencer Jones: according to the NBA it was a clean play
With 9.2 seconds remaining and the Denver Nuggets leading 116-113, Austin Reaves received the ball on the inbound and was immediately pressured by Spencer Jones.
The referees called a foul, sending the Los Angeles Lakers guard to the free-throw line.
However, according to the league’s official report, the play should have been evaluated differently:
Jones “strips the ball cleanly from Reaves”, taking possession in a legal manner.
Official NBA Report
In other words, it should have been ruled a clean steal, with the ball then going out of bounds. The report does not clarify whether possession would have remained with the Lakers or if the play would have been recorded as a turnover.
The Last Two Minute Report does not change the outcome of the game, but it once again puts the spotlight on a crucial moment in one of the most chaotic endings of the NBA season.