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The Boston Celtics were not happy with how Game 3 ended between them and the Milwaukee Bucks, to say the least. Among everything that went wrong, chief among their issues was what they believe was the wrong call seconds before the game clock was about to strike zero.
With 4.6 seconds left to go in the game and facing a deficit of three points, Marcus Smart was fouled by Jrue Holiday behind the arc. Although Smart pleaded that he was fouled while in the act of shooting, the referees called it on the floor. Because Milwaukee was over the limit, Holiday’s foul on Smart automatically sent him to the free-throw line to shoot two free throws.
Even though Boston couldn’t challenge because they already used it earlier, the ruling couldn’t be challenged on those plays because it’s a call that favored Boston. Since Smart was shooting two free throws in a three-point game with less than five seconds to go, Boston’s chances of winning were slim to none. Even though Boston miraculously came within a split second of tying it anyway, they were none too pleased with the referee’s ruling on Smart’s foul.
Head Coach Ime Udoka spoke his mind after the game saying, “It was a shot. He caught, left his feet, and was going into his shot. It was a bad missed call.”
Usually, when head coaches publicly criticize the officials, they get penalized for it financially. While Udoka didn’t use any inappropriate language or rant extensively about how badly they missed the call, the league will more likely than not fine him for criticizing the referees.
Marcus Smart Also Disagreed With the Call
Having been the recipient of the foul in question, Marcus Smart was asked to give his two cents on the matter afterward. Though he clearly pleaded with the officials at the time that he was shooting when he was fouled by Holiday, Smart responded by asking the media what they thought of the sequence.
Not too long after, Smart later confirmed that he believed he was in his shooting motion given the circumstances, saying, “We need three with 4.6 seconds. They know we need three. We know they’re going to foul. It’s not like he got me when I was down low. I was already in my shooting motion. I thought it was three free throws. They said it wasn’t. Deal with it.”
The Referees Believed Smart was in a Sweeping Motion
The Celtics have a solid case that Smart was fouled in a shooting motion. Slowing down the replay, one can make the case that Smart was shooting the ball before Holiday fouled him.
The one issue is that referees don’t watch the game in slow motion. There was in fact a particular reason why the refs did not call it in the act of shooting. According to Udoka, the refs called it on the floor because they believe Smart was in a sweeping motion. In other words, Smart went up and under Holiday’s arms to sell that he was shooting, which Udoka very much disagreed with.
What works against Smart’s sequence at the end of the game is that the game is trying to crack down on players who grift defenders by trying to draw fouls when they shoot threes. Something that Trae Young and James Harden (back in his days with the Houston Rockets) would take advantage of. Smart didn’t necessarily do that, but the referees always have to keep in mind that players try to draw fouls from three-point land any way they can.
The referees’ ruling on Smart’s foul should make for one highly-anticipated last two-minute report coming out. There’s one last thing to remember when it does. If Smart had been awarded three free throws, it would have given the Celtics the chance to tie the game, not win it.
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