Controversial basket interference call on Wolves' Towns 'didn't cost us the game'

Towns' dunk would've tied Game 1 against the Mavs late in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after a play against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 22, 2024. | Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

There was a dramatic shift in energy at Target Center in a span of a couple seconds.

The Timberwolves were trailing 104-102 with just under two minutes remaining in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Mike Conley's go-ahead 3-point attempt didn't fall, but Karl-Anthony Towns came swooping in to throw down a putback dunk to tie the game.

The sold-out Target Center crowd of 19,433 erupted.

Then it turned to boos.

Towns was called for offensive goaltending on the putback. The offensive goaltending/basket interference call is made when the shot attempt is still above the basket with a theoretical chance to still go in. The NBA rule states that players shall not "touch any ball from within the playing area when it is above the basket ring and within the imaginary cylinder."

Officials deemed the ball was still above the cylinder when Towns threw down the putback.

So instead of a tie game, the Mavericks gained possession with their two-point advantage still in tact. Towns was in disbelief. The Mavericks went on to win 108-105 to take a 1-0 series lead.

"I was more upset because the play happened. Just want to help my team win," Towns said. "And in doing that, the crowd's going crazy, we got momentum, we got the crowd into it, and out of nowhere, I'm hearing that it's not going to be counted. So I think that's where my upset was was the amount of confusion that I think was going around about the play."

Kat's reaction to this basket interference call 😬 pic.twitter.com/YNVAfIE9bG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 23, 2024

It wasn't so much about the call itself, which did go to review and was quickly confirmed correct.

"It's unfortunate, you know, in a game where we're like not shooting well, you definitely will take those kind of points when they come around, those hustle plays," Towns said. "It just didn't go our way.

"I mean, at the end of the day, that play didn't cost us the game. It was ... points in the paint, the fact that we didn't get more fast-break points, the fact that we didn't play Timberwolves defense, those are the things that cost us the game. That's just a moment in the game that could've helped us cover up the fact of how we played (Wednesday)."