NBA cites missed foul call in Wolves-Mavs as example for expanding coach's challenge

Kyrie Irving got away with a foul on Jaden McDaniels in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) controls the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on May 28, 2024. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving smacked Jaden McDaniels’ arm late in the game and the ball went out of bounds. 

Officials initially ruled that the ball went off of Irving, but Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd challenged the call. The ball did go off of McDaniels, but only because Irving only made contact with his arm. Nevertheless, under the rules at the time, officials could not retroactively assess a foul call on a coach’s challenge, meaning Kidd won the challenge and the Mavs got possession. 

At the time, the Wolves were up two points with 47 seconds remaining.

The Mavs eventually beat the Wolves 109-108 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. 

But had that played happened in this upcoming season’s Western Conference finals, Irving would’ve gotten hit with a foul call. The NBA Board of Governors approved a rules change Tuesday to expand the coach’s challenge when reviewing out-of-bounds violations. The change will allow officials to review those plays for uncalled fouls and assess fouls retroactively if they relate to the play.

This is the example the NBA gave:

Kyrie Irving was able to get away with a foul on this play with Jaden McDaniels.
Now, if the play is challenged by a coach, officials can go back and assess a foul after the fact if it is deemed one.

pic.twitter.com/FqCNpleNh9 https://t.co/jVZFPCtHy2

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 10, 2024

Irving getting away with the foul on McDaniels was the play the league used as an example for the types of plays that the new rule will apply to. Of course, it’s too late for that to help the Timberwolves in Game 2, but at least the league went out and fixed what was a broken challenge system.