Officials missed a critical call in the final seconds of the Kings' 117-112 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night, the NBA announced Friday.
The Pelicans inbounded the ball with 21.8 seconds remaining in the game, and Zion Williamson immediately set a screen for Brandon Ingram. That screen knocked Kings forward Harrison Barnes to the floor, as Ingram drove to the basket and laid in the ball to extend New Orleans' lead to five points.
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Barnes wasn't the only one who ended up knocked off his feet on the play, as Kings center Domantas Sabonis also took a hard fall after Ingram aggressively attacked the rim. While Kings fans wanted an offensive foul called on Ingram, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report concluded that a foul should have been called on Williamson for extending his leg on the screen that led to the layup.
Had the correct call been made, the Kings would have taken possession while trailing 113-110 with a chance to potentially tie the score. Instead, a rushed and chaotic offensive possession became a complete fail, as the Kings dropped their second consecutive game to the Pelicans.
During the Kings' final possession, the refs also missed an offensive foul call on Barnes, who extended his arm to push off Ingram and pull back.
Nonetheless, the Kings fell to 8-6 on the season and will look to get back on track Friday night for an NBA In-Season Tournament matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
