Key steal by Kawhi was a foul! Referees missed two calls within three seconds, Clippers overcome Pistons with a 19-point comeback

On January 12th Beijing time, the NBA released the official referee report covering the last two minutes of the Clippers versus Pistons matchup. The report indicated that there were two missed calls during this period, with both teams gaining an advantage once, although the Pistons were the only team truly harmed. The specific missed calls happened within three seconds of each other.

The first missed call occurred with 30.1 seconds left in the game. Clippers’ Leonard made a steal but his hand touched Pistons’ Reed’s wrist, causing Reed to lose control of the ball. This was a defensive foul that went uncalled. The Pistons were the ones disadvantaged while the Clippers benefited. At that time, the Pistons were trailing by only 3 points, and both teams had reached the foul limit, so the Pistons should have been awarded two free throws.

The second missed call took place with 27.4 seconds remaining, shortly after Leonard’s steal. Pistons’ Green reached in to swipe the ball and also made contact with Leonard’s wrist, knocking the ball away from him. This was another defensive foul that was overlooked. However, the ball eventually went out of bounds, and possession remained with the Clippers.

In this game, the Clippers were down by as many as 19 points against the Pistons but managed an incredible comeback. Harden struggled offensively, shooting 4-for-20 overall and 1-for-7 from three-point range, though he made 10 of 11 free throws, finishing with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Leonard contributed 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Collins added 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks, showing strong performance on both ends. The Pistons were missing several key players, with Dinwiddie leading the team with 20 points. The Clippers ultimately won 98-82 over the Pistons.