NBA confirms Tyrese Haliburton’s clutch rebound for Pacers shouldn’t have happened

The Indiana Pacers have a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s heroics in the 120-119 Game 2 win. Haliburton pulled down a clutch offensive rebound after missing a free throw, then turned around and hit an even more clutch 3-point shot to give Indiana the lead with just over one second remaining on the clock.

However, the last-two-minute report that was released on Wednesday states that the offensive rebound the Pacers’ guard pulled down should not have happened. The league confirms that there was a missed call that should have led to a jump ball situation at midcourt rather than Haliburton having an opportunity to win the game, according to Brett Siegel.

“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,” the report reads, per Siegel. “The call should have been made and a jump ball held at midcourt.”

In the video, you can see Haliburton’s feet cross the free-throw line well before the ball hits the rim, in addition to other players on the court violating the lane as well. Had the correct call been made, there’s a chance that the 25-year-old guard never would have had the chance to hit the clutch three-point shot that led to the Pacers winning the game.