The NBA has acknowledged two officiating mistakes in the final minute of the Miami Heat's recent loss to the Indiana Pacers. The game ended with a score of 117-115 in favor of Indiana, a defeat that had significant implications for the Heat's playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
The league confirmed that a crucial foul was missed when Miami's Tyler Herro was fouled by Indiana's T.J. McConnell while attempting a 3-point shot with approximately 55 seconds left on the clock. The officials failed to make the call, impacting the outcome of the game.
Additionally, a foul called against Heat center Bam Adebayo with 17.1 seconds remaining was deemed to be an error by the league. This resulted in Indiana's Myles Turner converting two free throws after the incorrect call was made by the official.
The NBA's report on calls and non-calls in the final two minutes of close games highlighted that Adebayo had cleanly contacted the ball at the same time as Herro, with only incidental hand-on-ball contact affecting the play.
It was noted that Miami had exhausted their challenges earlier in the fourth quarter, preventing them from contesting the foul called on Adebayo. The Heat's inability to challenge the call further compounded the impact of the officiating errors on the game's outcome.
Following the loss to Indiana, Miami slipped to the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while Indiana maintained their position at 6th. The defeat proved costly for the Heat, as a victory would have elevated them to the 6th spot and secured a more favorable playoff position.
The NBA playoff format guarantees the top six teams in each conference a playoff spot, with teams ranked 7th to 10th participating in a play-in tournament to determine the final two seeds. The outcome of the Miami-Indiana game has heightened the stakes for both teams as they approach the final week of the regular season.
