The NBA has officially confirmed that multiple officiating mistakes occurred during the high-stakes matchup between the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This admission follows a highly contentious game that saw the Timberwolves claw back from a significant overtime deficit to secure a 110-108 victory at Target Center. According to the league’s Last Two Minute (L2M) Report, officials missed or incorrectly called a staggering six plays in the final two minutes of regulation and the overtime period.
The report identifies errors that impacted both teams, fueling the ongoing debate regarding officiating consistency in close-game scenarios. While the result of the game remains final, the league’s transparency provides a clearer look at the chaotic closing moments of this Western Conference battle.
Here’s a closer look at what happened.
What were the specific errors identified by the NBA?
The league’s official L2M report detailed six incorrect calls or non-calls that occurred during the most critical stretches of the game.
One of the most significant errors took place in the fourth quarter when Houston’s Alperen Sengun set a screen on Julius Randle. The league determined that Sengun took an extra step and delivered side contact that should have been whistled as an offensive foul. Had this been called, it would have been Sengun’s sixth foul, disqualifying him from the remainder of the contest and potentially altering the overtime outcome.
Fun Fact: The Timberwolves set an all-time NBA attendance record during their inaugural 1989-90 season, drawing over one million fans to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
In overtime, the report cited an incorrect out-of-bounds ruling with 1:14.8 remaining after officials awarded possession to Houston even though Alperen Sengun was the last player to touch the ball. The report also said Kyle Anderson should have been called for a foul on Kevin Durant at 1:10 and Donte DiVincenzo should have been called for a kicked-ball violation at 1:08, meaning Minnesota benefited from two missed calls on the same sequence.
How did the officials handle the overtime tension?
The atmosphere in Minneapolis reached a boiling point during the extra period, leading to a rare ejection of a key player.
Minnesota’s Naz Reid was tossed from the game with 4:13 left in overtime after a heated exchange with crew chief Scott Foster. Following an offensive foul call against him, Reid reportedly made comments that Foster deemed as questioning the integrity of the officiating crew. This decision left the Timberwolves without their Sixth Man of the Year candidate during a 13-point deficit, forcing the rest of the roster to step up in his absence.
Fun fact: NBA referee Scott Foster, who led the crew for this game, has officiated more than 1,500 regular-season games and over 200 playoff games during his long career.
Despite the loss of Reid and the mounting frustration over foul discrepancies, Minnesota managed a 15-0 run to close the game. Head coach Chris Finch noted after the game that his team attempted 63 shots in the paint but only received 10 free-throw attempts, while the Rockets were awarded 25.
The L2M report later confirmed that Julius Randle should have been whistled for a loose-ball foul on Jae’Sean Tate with 33 seconds left, a call that was missed in real-time.
Was the final foul call on Julius Randle correct?
The NBA confirmed that the shooting foul called against Julius Randle on Kevin Durant’s final attempt was actually an officiating error. With only 3.3 seconds remaining and the Rockets trailing by two, Randle was whistled for a foul that sent Durant to the charity stripe. The L2M report stated that Randle maintained a legal guarding position and that no foul should have been called on the play. This mistake gave Houston a golden opportunity to tie the game despite the league now admitting the whistle was incorrect.
Fortunately for the Timberwolves, Durant, a career 88% free-throw shooter, missed the first shot. He then intentionally missed the second to create a rebound opportunity for Houston, but the Rockets were unable to capitalize before the buzzer sounded. The league’s admission that the foul was non-existent adds a layer of “ball doesn’t lie” sentiment to the victory for Minnesota fans.
It also underscores how even the most experienced officiating crews can struggle with high-pressure judgment calls at the rim.
What are the implications for the Western Conference standings?
This victory was crucial for Minnesota as they continue to jostle for a top-four seed in an incredibly crowded Western Conference playoff race. The win moved the Timberwolves to 45-28 on the season, keeping them within striking distance of the third seed. For the Rockets, the loss was a missed opportunity to solidify their own standing, as they fell to 43-29. With the tiebreaker implications and the razor-thin margins between the 3rd and 6th seeds, every game carries the weight of a postseason matchup.
Fun fact: Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun both finished this specific contest with exactly 30 points, marking a rare statistical stalemate between the two star players.
The fallout from this game likely won’t end with the L2M report, as teams often use these admissions to lobby the league office for better officiating consistency. For Houston, the collapse in overtime despite the officiating breaks is a tough pill to swallow. For Minnesota, the resilience shown in the face of an ejection and multiple missed calls serves as a potential turning point for their locker room chemistry heading into April.
The teams meet again on April 10 in Houston for the final game of their regular-season series.
TL;DR
- The NBA’s Last Two Minute report confirmed six officiating errors in the Rockets vs. Timberwolves game.
- Significant missed calls included an offensive foul on Alperen Sengun and a kicked-ball violation.
- The league admitted the final foul call on Julius Randle against Kevin Durant was incorrect.
- Minnesota overcame a 13-point overtime deficit and the ejection of Naz Reid to win 110-108.
- Both teams were impacted by the errors, but the Timberwolves secured a vital win for their playoff seeding.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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