Game 4: The Spurs fans floated several what-if scenarios around after the heartbreaking one-point loss. It was a game that should have ended in their favor, given their massive lead. But the loss seems even more grim now that the NBA has admitted its mistake on a crucial call.

Here’s what happened. The Knicks created history, producing the biggest comeback in the NBA Finals (29-point deficit). They turned a blowout game into a clutch-time battle. At one point, they even took the lead with a minute left in the game. One may argue that the Spurs lost the game right there, but they still kept their heads up. Spurs’ Stephon Castle, especially, could have taken the lead back, but Josh Hart’s aggressive defense for New York forced him out of bounds. At least that’s what everyone initially thought. But the league, with its Last Two Minute report, admitted that it was a mistake. 

Most importantly, the report didn’t just acknowledge the incorrect out-of-bounds; it read, “Hart (NYK) impedes Castle (SAS) on his drive as Castle is incorrectly called for committing an out-of-bounds violation.”

It occurred when Jalen Brunson’s jumper took the Knicks’ first lead (104-105) with roughly a minute remaining. Castle drove toward the rim while Josh Hart closely guarded him.

Hart’s aggressive defense carried more weight because of the circumstances that surrounded him earlier. 

A few possessions ago, Josh Hart, stealing the ball off De’Aaron Fox’s pass, headed to the rim for an open dunk. He missed it and beat himself up after that.

No wonder Hart appeared fully locked in to make up for the mistake. He aggressively guarded Castle and appeared to have made significant illegal contact before forcing the Spurs guard out of bounds.

And instead of calling the fouls, the officials handed the possession back to New York. Moreover, the Spurs were in the bonus. With Castle’s clutch free-throw ability, this could have been a different game.

But now that the league has admitted the mistake. What next? Will they change it retroactively? 

That, however, is not possible.

Still, the report carries consequences. The refs receive evaluations possession by possession in the postseason. They are selected based on NBA Referee Operations grading, play-calling accuracy, and overall ranking. 

So, the officials involved may take a hit in their rankings.

NBA admits another missed call involving Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama

Apart from the Hart-Castle sequence, the league admitted another mistake in the L2M report.

The NBA admitted that it missed a defensive three-second violation on Victor Wembanyama with roughly more than one-and-a-half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

These two were the only mistakes in the report.

At the same time, it remains difficult to blame the officials, considering how the Finals series has turned out. All four games in the series have turned into close battles, while two games ended with a one-point difference. 

Maintaining quality may become challenging, given the pressure surrounding the game.

Notably, the officiating drama has followed this series throughout. Following Game 3, Wembanayama’s shove on Jalen Brunson sparked conversation and even led to an expected retroactive upgrade. However, the league ultimately ruled it out with no punishment.

Now, with the Knicks holding a 3-1 series lead, the NY side will look to close out in Game 5 at San Antonio. Meanwhile, the Spurs will once again rely on their resilience and make up for the heartbreaking loss.

Amid all the controversy in this series, one thing remains clear heading into Game 5. The league will closely monitor every whistle from the officiating crew.