NBA referees — please do your jobs correctly!
In the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Utah Jazz victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 99-93, in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Dallas was (confusingly) rewarded an additional free throw after the Jazz were caught with six men on the court.
And we say “caught” tentatively because here’s the thing — there are often six players on the court when making routine substitutions — it’s what happens when the player entering the game and the one leaving the court cross paths in the second or two as they make their way in and out of the game. The refs should, and usually do, allow such things to happen before resuming play.
Saturday, in the postseason(!), they did not.
The Jazz got a tech for six players on the court. pic.twitter.com/P4uzMdSU2d
— ESPN (@espn) April 16, 2022
Welp, the officials messed up and NBA Twitter dove in.
six men on the floor? Well no wonder the jazz are so good at defense
— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) April 16, 2022
Tech on the Jazz for having six men on the floor….this fourth quarter has gone swimmingly so far
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) April 16, 2022
Tech on Jazz for having 6 men on the court, I haven't seen that in a very long time.
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 16, 2022
Bizarre sequence there. Rushed Jazz inbound pass prevented the Mavs from challenging a borderline out of bounds call, but it was so rushed that Utah had six guys on the floor. Tech on the Jazz. Mavs missed the free throw though. (My kingdom for an FT.)
— Bobby Karalla (@bobbykaralla) April 16, 2022
Van Gundy thinks Utah shouldn't have been called for the tech for 6 players on the court as "Clarkson was walking off, poor officiating." As if he and every other coach doesn't yell at players for not hustling off. #MFFL
— The Sports Retorter (@its_just_chris) April 16, 2022
Utah just committed a 6 guys on the floor tech?? you have to win now
— uncle morbius (@SnackPr0tein) April 16, 2022
Did I just read Utah got a tech for too many players???? Dead to me
— #BetWithBlake (@BetWithBlake) April 16, 2022
That missed free throw on the tech ended up being pretty massive for Jazz bettors, too. Utah just barely covered a 5.5-point spread as it took a 1-0 series lead.
