Referees interjected themselves into the Rockets-Grizzlies game Thursday night, ruining a potentially game-deciding fast break with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
As Rockets guard Fred VanVleet fired and missed a 3-pointer while leading by one point with 15 seconds remaining, Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells grabbed a rebound and was off to the races looking for a go-ahead basket before an inadvertent whistle stopped the play.
One referee believed Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins had signaled a timeout, but the livid coach was trying to tell his team to attack by shouting “go, go, go.”
“That’s what I motioned, that’s what I said, that’s what I told the team to do,” Jenkins said when asked what he said as the officials declared a timeout. “We’ll see what the two-minute report or if the league says anything. My intention was not to call a timeout, I said, ‘Go, go, go.’ I wasn’t even signaling a timeout.”
Jenkins lost his cool on the referee after the call, having to be restrained while he screamed.
The confusion ultimately did not end up costing Memphis, with Jaren Jackson Jr. being fouled and hitting both free throws with 8.1 seconds remaining to secure the 120-119 home victory.
The officials admitted the mistake after the game.
“The official thought he heard Coach (Jenkins) yell timeout from behind him and so he awarded the timeout,” referee Ben Taylor said in the pool report. “But after realizing that Coach Jenkins didn’t (call timeout) it becomes an inadvertent whistle and we put the ball on the side out in that scenario.”
TNT play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Harlan seemed frustrated with the whistle.
“Rebound by Wells. Here they go up the lane. And a whistle. And a whistle. And a whistle,” Harlan said, while partner Reggie Miller pointed out a furious Jenkins.
“And Taylor Jenkins is upset because he is telling them that he did not call a timeout, and Wells had a wide-open layup that will not count. But coach Jenkins is upset with the officials.”
Chants of “Ref, you suck” rang through the FedEx Forum in Memphis after the inadvertent timeout.
This refereeing mistake comes while the NFL is under scrutiny for alleged pro-Chiefs bias while they prepare for their Super Bowl 2025 clash against the Eagles.
