CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NBA history shouldn’t have been made on Monday night.
At least, that’s what the NBA said after video review of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 145-134 come-from-behind overtime win against the Chicago Bulls.
According to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report -- the league’s assessment of officiated events that occurred in the last two minutes of games that were at or within three points during any point in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter (and overtime, where applicable) -- there were two incorrect calls. Both of them in Cleveland’s favor.
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The most notable and controversial came on Mitchell’s record-setting putback -- a remarkable layup following a missed free throw that gave him a franchise-record 58 points and sent the game into OT.
With 4.6 seconds remaining and the Cavs trailing by two points, Mitchell deliberately missed his second freebie, darted toward the lane, collected his own rebound in midair and flipped in the basket.
A review of that play by the league on Tuesday afternoon showed that Mitchell stepped over the plane of the free throw line before the ball touched the basket -- a violation of NBA rules.
Mitchell should’ve been called for a lane violation, negating the basket, keeping the Cavs behind by two and putting Mitchell at 56 points -- one off his career-high and Cleveland’s single-game record that was previously shared by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Because the three-person officiating crew -- Tony Brothers, JB DeRosa and Suyash Mehta -- allowed the play to proceed in real time without a whistle, Mitchell’s magical moment counted and the game went into overtime, where Mitchell scored 13 more points, bringing his total to 71.
He became just the seventh player in NBA history to tally more than 70 points in a game -- and first since Phoenix Suns swingman Devin Booker on March 24, 2017. Mitchell’s 71 points are tied with Elgin Baylor and David Robinson for the eighth-highest total in a single game in NBA history. It’s the most points scored in the NBA this season. Mitchell’s previous regular-season best was 46, hitting that number three times with the Jazz. He tallied 57 in the Bubble.
According to the NBA, none of that should’ve happened.
The only other incorrect call to appear on the Last Two Minute Report came moments earlier. With Cleveland down 128-125, and a little more than 10 seconds remaining, Mitchell drove right of the lane and dished to center Jarrett Allen under the hoop. The sequence ended with Allen’s jump-hook in the lane that cut Chicago’s lead to one point.
Only Allen should’ve been called for a travel.
The league said he lifted and re-planted his pivot foot before releasing the ball. Had that play been ruled correctly, the Bulls would’ve been in possession with a three-point lead.
The Last Two Minute Report assesses all calls and notable non-calls. According to the league’s definition, notable non-calls are generally defined as material plays directly related to the outcome of a possession. Similar to the instant replay standards, there must be clear and conclusive video evidence in order to make a determination that a play was incorrectly officiated. In this case, both misses qualified under those parameters.
Nonetheless, nothing changes in the official record book. Can’t rewrite history. The Cavs still won. Mitchell still joined the 70-point club. And he still became the Cavaliers’ single-game scoring recordholder, passing James and Irving.
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