NBA Concludes Kawhi Leonard's Offensive Foul was Correct Call
The NBA has determined that the offensive foul assessed to Kawhi Leonard in the final seconds of Sunday night's game between the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets was the correct call, according to the NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Report.
According to the report, the officials deemed that Leonard extended his off-arm into James Harden's front, which dislodged him from his defensive position. Therefore, the offensive foul that was assessed to Leonard was the correct call.
The foul, which can be seen below, occurred on the most important possession of the game. The Clippers, down 110-108 with less than 11 seconds to play, had one chance to either tie the game or take the lead. Leonard caught the inbounds pass and went right to the rim, where the foul took place.
After the game, a frustrated Leonard spoke out on what he thought happened.
"My take from it is if we're going to pretty much play bully ball at the end of the game, you know, let both sides play it," Leonard said. "But they didn't call it, so good defense. I felt that I got grabbed early, but like I said, no call, so great defense."
When looking back at the play, it does appear that Harden put his arm on Leonard's as he drove to the basket. Leonard does eventually shove him off, though Harden embellished a bit on the contact.
Regardless of what conclusion the league came to, though, the Clippers weren't going to have the results of Sunday night's game overturned. As Tyronn Lue said after the game, the call wasn't the only — or most significant — reason for the loss. LA still allowed Brooklyn to dominate the paint and score off of turnovers, which had a drastic impact on the game.
With this loss behind them, the Clippers will look to get back on track with a win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
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