The NBA said Sunday a travel should have been called on Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker during the controversial ending to the Brooklyn Nets’ 117-115 victory Saturday at Spectrum Center.
Hornets coach James Borrego and some players said post-game they felt Nets guard Caris LeVert should have been charged with a foul on the play during in the final seven seconds, which would have sent Walker to the foul line for free throws. The referees called no foul and the game ended without the Hornets getting off a shot in their final possession.
The NBA issued its customary last-two-minutes report Sunday on any close game. That report said LeVert “jumps in front of Walker and that he legally blocks (Walker’s) shot when his elbow makes contact with the ball (and possibly his hand while it is in contact with the ball).
The report went on to say Walker should have been called for a traveling turnover.
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LeVert said post-game he made contact with the ball with his elbow. The Hornets – particularly Borrego and power forward Marvin Williams – expressed frustration that no foul was called.
“That was a foul, to me. From my vantage point, that was a foul,” Williams said Saturday, shaking his head. “I feel like if that play happened in the the third quarter or the first quarter, I don’t understand how he doesn’t get free throws on that play.”
Borrego, who has been frustrated with some past calls this season in close Hornets losses, said Saturday, “It’s not an easy game to call, but this is extremely frustrating for our team. Not just for tonight, but for a number of nights this season.”
Walker declined to say post-game whether he felt he was fouled, indicating he was choosing his words carefully to avoid a possible fine for public criticism of officials.
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