The NBA ruled that a key late-game call in Saturday’s Nuggets-Lakers matchup was missed, saying Austin Reaves should not have been sent to the free throw line with 9.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
According to the league’s postgame decision, Spencer Jones executed a clean strip on Reaves during the possession. The NBA’s ruling stated that the play did not warrant a foul call and that the ensuing free throws should not have occurred.
League clarification on the final seconds
The ruling addresses one of the defining moments in the closing stretch of a tightly contested game between the Nuggets and Lakers. With the margin thin late, the possession carried significant weight, and the NBA’s review concluded the on-court decision was incorrect.
The league did not indicate any additional penalties or changes beyond its determination that the strip was legal and the free throws were not warranted.