The NBA is trying to put the controversy to rest surrounding the amount of time put back on the clock after Jimmy Butler was fouled in the final seconds of Saturday’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the play in question, the referees put a full three seconds back on the clock after Butler was fouled by Al Horford in the dying moments of the contest. That decision ultimately loomed large, as it allowed just enough time for Boston’s Derrick White to covert a putback layup at the other end to keep the Celtics’ season alive.
Replays seemed to show that Horford did not make meaningful contact with Butler until after the three-second mark, leading to the argument in some NBA corners that the Celtics got a generous amount of time after Butler made all three of his free throws. The league’s internal audit, however, said the decision to put three seconds on the clock was the correct one.
Ultimately, the league’s Last Two Minutes report indicated that the only missed calls actually went against Boston. The NBA said Miami’s Caleb Martin committed a lane violation on a Jaylen Brown free throw with 1:01 left and that Jayson Tatum was fouled by Gabe Vincent with 33 seconds left. Both went uncalled.
The above clarifications are unlikely to silence anyone who thinks the Celtics received a huge break on the clock spot. Whatever the case, the league is not backing away from its conclusion on the public stage.
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