Ref: Late non-call in OKC win was offensive foul

8:46 AM ET

SAN ANTONIO — Officials said after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 98-97 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night that they should have called an offensive foul during a controversial late-game sequence.

“On the floor, we did not see a foul on the play,” lead referee Ken Mauer told a pool reporter. “However, upon review we realize and we agree we should have had an offensive foul on the play. It’s a play we’ve never seen before, ever. We should have had an offensive foul on the play.”

The sequence in question involved Oklahoma City’s Dion Waiters on an inbounds play with 13.5 seconds remaining and his team nursing a one-point advantage. Replays showed Waiters used an elbow on Spurs guard Manu Ginobili to clear the space he needed to pass the ball to Kevin Durant, who was subsequently stripped by Danny Green.

Patty Mills missed the ensuing corner 3-pointer, and Spurs power forward LaMarcus Aldridge lost control of the rebound. Kawhi Leonard’s scramble for the loose ball proved fruitless as the buzzer sounded.

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Had an offensive foul been called on Waiters, possession would have been given to the Spurs, Mauer said.

Oklahoma City’s victory evened the best-of-seven series at one win apiece, and the wild late sequence led Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to walk off the court at the conclusion of the contest while screaming at game officials.

“Something certainly happened on the sideline, I thought,” Popovich said.

Ginobili concurred.

“Did you see it?” he said. “I was trying to pressure the ball, and he kind of created room with …

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