NBA Playoffs 2014 Bracket & Scores Recap: Refs Admit Missing Foul Call in Clippers-Warriors Game 1

The Golden State Warriors won over the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 in Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference semifinals on April 19, 2014.

Their victory was controversial as the NBA shared that the referees admitted missing a foul call late during the fourth quarter. NBA president for basketball operations Rod Thorn said that Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors should have been called for a foul on Chris Paul. Such a call would have put Paul on the free throw line for two shots to possibly tie the score 107-107 and force the game into overtime.

With 18.9 seconds left on the clock, Los Angeles had a turn over when Chris Paul, point guard of the Clippers, lost the ball in what could have been a foul. The Warriors went on to score two more points, reports Yahoo! Sports.

USA Today wrote that game officials reviewed the video after Los Angeles committed the supposed turnover. They admitted that there was indeed a foul by Green on Paul. However, a missed one does not allow them to call one when replayed. Based on NBA rules, referees are prohibited from checking for fouls when using replay. Referees can only do so when trying to determine whether the ball went out of bounds, reviewing which player last touched the ball before it went out of bounds, and checking court lines and boundaries.

Doc Rivers, head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, had good words for the NBA and its referees for being honest enough to admit to their mistake. He said on April 20, 2014, "A mistake happened on their end, but we made our own mistakes. We have to take ownership of that."

According to Sports Illustrated, after the out of bounds call, Harrison Barnes of the Warriors shot one of two free throws. The following Clippers possession brought Chris Paul to the free throw line but he missed both shots.