NBA to release officiating reports from last two minutes and OT

The NBA announced that beginning Monday and continuing through this season's playoffs, it will release play-by-play officiating reports regarding "all calls and material non-calls" that occur during the final two minutes of close games and during overtime periods.

The NBA announced in a Friday press release that beginning Monday and continuing through this season's playoffs, it will release play-by-play officiating reports regarding "all calls and material non-calls" that occur during the final two minutes of close games and during overtime periods.

Games within five points with two minutes remaining will be defined as "close." Games that go to overtime will have both the final two minutes of regulation and overtime included in the report. 

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The league said each play will be reviewed by a senior referee manager or basketball operations manager. Video links will be provided and the manager will give an assessment, which will then be posted online at NBA.com/official. 

"The 'Last Two Minutes' officiating report is the latest step in the league's effort toward more transparency in its officiating program," the NBA said in its release.

[daily_cut.NBA]

Executive vice president of referee operations Mike Bantom said NBA referees have "the most difficult officiating job in sports."

"We trust this consistent disclosure will give fans a greater appreciating of the difficulty of the job and a deeper sense of the correct interpretations of the rules of our game," he said.

This season, the league opened a state-of-the-art NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, N.J., enabling game officials to view multiple angles of plays simultaneously and enhancing their ability to make calls.

- Molly Geary