Refs admit errant foul call on Giannis in Bucks' 1-point loss to Hornets
The crew chief who oversaw the Milwaukee Bucks' loss against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday conceded that officials mistakenly called Giannis Antetokounmpo for a late foul, leading to the game-winning free throws.
Antetokounmpo was called for a foul against LaMelo Ball with 7.3 seconds left in the game despite it appearing Ball tripped over his own feet. The Bucks were unable to challenge the call because they unsuccessfully challenged a foul called on Taurean Prince earlier in the fourth quarter.
"During live play, we called illegal leg-to-leg contact," crew chief Curtis Blair told Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. "During postgame review, when we looked at the play, there was no illegal contact on the play."
The Hornets guard nailed both free throws to give his team a one-point lead, which ended up being the final margin of victory for Charlotte. Antetokounmpo attempted a game-winning jumper, but the shot rimmed out and the Hornets won 115-114.
"I thought the final play was the ref blowing a call," Bucks coach Doc Rivers told Steve Reed of The Associated Press. "This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there has been an incorrect call made ... Ball fell, he just fell down. Nobody was near him. He slipped on his own. We come up with the ball, and the game is over. So back-to-back games now, we have had a call made against us that is incorrect."
Antetokounmpo was previously called for a foul against the Detroit Pistons' Ron Holland II on a last-second alley-oop attempt Thursday. However, Holland missed both free throws and the Bucks won the game in overtime. Following the game, NBA officials called that foul an incorrect call in the last-two-minute report.
Rivers added, "We were lucky in Detroit, the kid missed two free throws. Tonight, Ball made the free throws."
Antetokounmpo was asked about the call postgame but chose not to comment to avoid getting fined.
"Rule No. 1, don't give away your money," he told Boone. "And rule No. 2, don't forget rule No. 1, you know?"
The Greek Freak finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in the losing effort versus the Hornets for his first triple-double of the season. Ball countered with 26 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Milwaukee now sits at 4-9 on the season and will play the Houston Rockets next on Nov. 18.