The officiating crew was correct in not ruling that Denver's Christian Braun had signaled for a timeout when the Nuggets had none remaining at the end of their 119-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report said.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr was furious at the end of the game when it appeared to him that Braun had signaled for a timeout after securing a loose ball with 1.9 seconds left while on the floor. If Braun had called a timeout with none left, it would have resulted in a technical foul, giving the Warriors a free throw and a possession.
Instead, officials called a jump ball.
According to Wednesday's Last Two Minute Report, Braun "never fully or clearly signals for a timeout and therefore a timeout is not recognized."
Braun said after the win that he knew the Nuggets had no timeouts remaining because coach Michael Malone and his staff talked about it.
"No," Braun said when asked whether he called timeout. "It might've looked like it, maybe. I was fumbling the ball on the ground a little bit. My hands moved but the refs didn't call it."
Kerr said it was clear to him what happened.
"Braun called a timeout," he said after the loss. "He dove on the floor, he rolled over. Everybody saw it except for the three guys we hire to do the games, and that makes me angry. That's a technical foul. They don't have a time left. We shoot a free throw, we get the ball, we got a chance to win the game."
It was a frustrating ending for the Warriors, who lost their fifth consecutive game by blowing a six-point lead in the final 2:32. Denver trailed by 11 with 6:13 left but finished the game on a 21-6 run.