May 9, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts to a foul called in the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

NBA Admits Big Mistake in Nuggets-Thunder Game 3

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated May 10, 2025 4:50 PM ET

For as great as the first round of the NBA playoffs has been in the 2025 season, somehow the second round has been even better.

What's made the second round so great is the unpredictability and major upsets currently going on. Among those are the Denver Nuggets taking a 2-1 lead over the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Nuggets somehow took down the Thunder in overtime of Game 3 on Friday, but according to the NBA's last two-minute report, there was a decent chance that the game shouldn't have even gone to overtime.

In the 57.6-second mark of the fourth quarter, Isaiah Hartenstein should have been whistled for a foul against Nikola Jokic that would have sent Jokic to the free-throw line while the Nuggets were down three points.

'Hartenstein (OKC) makes contact to Jokic's (DEN) wrist, affecting his shot attempt at the rim."

If the referees had properly called the foul, Jokic could have trimmed the lead down to one point, instead of the three-point deficit that Aaron Gordon sent into overtime.

Fortunately for the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon did make his three-pointer, and he did send the game into overtime, where the Nuggets ultimately won the game. If the Nuggets had lost the game, though, that missed call would have been absolutely brutal for Denver.

Aaron Gordon has more clutch playoff moments this year than your favorite player in his career pic.twitter.com/uZTDDRLthC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 10, 2025