NBA Admits Referees Missed Critical Calls In Cavaliers Game 2 Loss To Pacers

The first missed call was when Pascal Siakam was taking a free throw with 48 seconds remaining.

It was clear live that Aaron Naesmith left way too early from behind the three-point line, but the officials never called a lane violation.

Naesmith's put-back dunk, which cut Cleveland's lead to five points, should never have counted since "multiple players enter the lane and cross the three-point line before the ball is released for the free throw."

There should have been a jump ball at mid-court instead.

The second missed call happened right before Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning shot.

Since "multiple players enter the lane and cross the three-point line before the ball is released for the free throw, and the shooter steps over the plane of the free throw line before the ball touches the rim," there should also have been a jump ball at the center of the court.

Unfortunately, nothing can be done about these missed calls now.

Does it sting for Cavaliers fans to know that the referees missed these critical calls and that the NBA is admitting to it?

Absolutely.

That said, are these missed calls the only reason the Cavaliers lost this game?

Not at all.

Cleveland missed five free throws, struggled inbounding the ball, and had issues rebounding the ball in clutch moments.

The Cavaliers' only option is to move on to Game 3, and based on Donovan Mitchell's reaction on Tuesday night, that's exactly what they plan to do.

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