Refs: Crucial out-of-bounds on Jaden McDaniels should have been called a foul

The call gave the Mavericks possession, when it should have been a Wolves ball.

May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) in the second quarter during game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The officiating team for Friday's Game 2 between the Timberwolves and Mavericks have acknowledged that a crucial out-of-bounds call that went against Jaden McDaniels should have been called a foul in favor of the Timberwolves man.

With 47 seconds left and the Wolves leading by two and with Jaden McDaniels in possession, the ball went out of bounds and the referees called it as coming off Kyrie Irving. Dallas challenged, and the replay suggested the final touch came from McDaniels, and it was overturned in the Mavericks' favor.

But the replay also showed that Irving hacked McDaniels' arm, causing him to lose control and the ball to go out.

I knew it was over when the ref standing right in front of Jaden McDaniels didn’t send him to the line after watching Kyrie hack him pic.twitter.com/Hr55EyxrLN

— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) May 25, 2024

But the referees didn't call the foul on Irving, which if they had would have saw Minnesota retain possession with five seconds left on the shot clock. Instead Dallas got the ball, and ultimately Luka Doncic hit a three with three seconds remaining to win the game.

Speaking to a pool reporter after the game, Crew Chief Zach Zarba acknowledged that a foul should have been called against Irving, but that because the challenge from Dallas related to the out-of-bounds, the Timberwolves weren't able to counter-challenge the no-call on the foul.

"Postgame review we did see illegal contact from (Kyrie) Irving to the forearm of McDaniels that should have been called a foul," he said.

Here's the pool report:

QUESTION: During the review that resulted in the turnover on Jaden McDaniels late in the game can you explain if you also saw a foul that should have been called at that point?

ZARBA: During the game we felt it was a normal out of bounds play and that’s what was ruled. Obviously, it gets challenged and the replay center overturns it because it last touched McDaniels. Postgame review we did see illegal contact from (Kyrie) Irving to the forearm of McDaniels that should have been called a foul.

QUESTION: Just to clarify now, at that point Dallas has challenged the play, there is no way Minnesota can then challenge that call to say the ball went out of bounds because he got fouled?

ZARBA: Correct. Per NBA rules you can’t challenge the no call on the foul in that case.

QUESTION: Could Minnesota have challenged it earlier to say he got fouled instead of the ball coming out of bounds if they had beaten them to the challenge or is that not challengeable?

ZARBA: No, you can’t challenge a no call and the ball was awarded initially to Minnesota, so you’re not going to challenge an out of bounds awarded to you.