NBA Referee Admits They Made Mistake In Cavaliers-Kings Game

The Cleveland Cavaliers' hope of breaking the franchise's all-time single-season wins record is over after their tight loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The game came down to the last few possessions, as the Kings pulled away in the final minutes to secure the 120-113 lead.

However, with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the momentum in the game could have completely shifted.

Zach LaVine drove to the basket with a five-point lead and time dwindling on the shot clock. He ended up connecting on a floater, but it was clear the clock expired well before LaVine got the shot off.

However, the play was never reviewed and the basket counted.

Crew Chief Courtney Kirkland was part of a pool report after the game and was asked, "Why didn't the referees go back to review the potential shot clock violation on Zach LaVine on his made basket late in the fourth quarter?"

In Kirkland's response, he admits that the crew made an error with how they handled the play.

"Well, we made a mistake. During live action we thought that LaVine released the ball prior to the expiration of the shot clock. If we were going to review, we would have had to review it before the ball was legally touched on the floor during the throw in, right after the made basket."

Apr 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) brings the ball up court against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

If LaVine had been called for a shot clock violation, the Cavaliers would have had an opportunity to cut the lead to two points with about 30 seconds to play.

Instead, the Kings took a seven-point lead and all but clinched a victory.

It's frustrating that the game ended this way, but the loss can't solely be attributed to one missed call.

The Cavaliers' offense and defense were inconsistent all night. Cleveland also didn't do a great job protecting the ball, allowing the Kings to score 37 points on 16 Cavalier miscues.

At this point, nothing can be done about the missed call or the loss.

The Cavaliers just need to take whatever lessons they learned from this game and move on to Tuesday night, when they'll have another opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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