The NBA ruled that the Wizards should have been assessed a technical foul for assistant coach Sidney Lowe being on the court when Courtney Lee got the ball in the corner in the final seconds of the Knicks' three-point loss Thursday.
The league also fined the Wizards' organization $15,000 and Lowe $5,000 for "standing on the playing court and potentially impacting game action," NBA executive vice president, basketball operations, Kiki Vandeweghe announced.
In the "Last Two Minute Report" released Friday afternoon, the NBA determined that a Wizards assistant coach stood on the floor too close to Lee "for several seconds and should have been assessed a technical foul."
None of it will change the outcome of the game. But on that controversial play, Lee was set to attempt a potential tying corner 3-pointer. But he said he saw someone out of the corner of his eye who was screaming, "I'm here. I'm here. I got your help." Lee thought it was a Wizards defender closing in on him. It turned out it was Lowe.
Lee, who didn't realize this until watching the replay, ended up dribbling away from the corner and passing to Brandon Jennings, who had the ball stolen by John Wall.
In the locker room after the game, Lee said he was frustrated because he got "fooled" on the play, but he also kept saying: "I should have shot it. I should have shot it." Lee was open for a few seconds when Carmelo Anthony passed the ball to him. Lowe was the closest person to him at one point.
There were a total of seven non-calls in the final 1:44, according to the report. Only Lowe and an Anthony three-second violation that wasn't called with 1:44 left were deemed incorrect.
But with the use of enhanced video _ such as handheld and above-the-rim cameras _ Wall should have been called for a travel with 1:23 left and a double-dribble before his breakaway go-ahead dunk with 16 seconds to go.
It also was determined that Kelly Oubre Jr. should have been called for a defensive three seconds with 8.5 seconds left. He was supposed to be guarding Lee, but he was in the paint without actively guarding anyone.
Additionally, Derrick Rose should have been called for a travel with 1:01 left, and wasn't. And Lee, the report said, changed his pivot when he dribbled away from the corner, and it wasn't called.
This isn't the first time this season the report revealed that a non-call went against the Knicks that affected the outcome of the game. Two weeks ago, the league ruled that Giannis Antetokounmpo committed a five-second violation before hitting a shot at the buzzer to beat the Knicks.
