After NBA says Dwyane Wade wasn't fouled, refs troll Gabrielle Union
The Miami Heat were trailing by two points with a little over five seconds left in Wednesday's critical Game 5 against the Hornets, when Dwyane Wade got the ball along the baseline and attempted to tie the game by going strong to the basket.
Cody Zeller came over to contest, and made contact with Wade in mid-air. Courtney Lee was also there, and made contact with Wade's shooting arm more than once. But no foul was called, and Charlotte escaped with the 90-88 victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Wade said afterward he believed he was fouled, and his wife, Gabrielle Union, took to Twitter to rip the officiating, as well.
They need to get fined. Period. Crappy officiating deserves a FINE and suspension. Not after the fact "oh well" https://t.co/B6CSxn4ck2
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 28, 2016
And plsssss...hands straight up mean NADA if you get hit with the body down low. Stop it #FineEm
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 28, 2016
2 min report is BS... after the fact WHO CARES?!?!?! If you don't #FineEm what's the motivation to get it right in the future?? #logic
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 28, 2016
Ah yes, the Last Two Minute Report. The document Union is referring to occasionally owns up to officiating mistakes made in a game's last two minutes, but no other action is taken, even if an incorrect call or two may have potentially cost a team the game.
The one the league released for this particular contest dared to confirm that the officials were correct in swallowing their whistles on Wade's final shot.
If that wasn't enough to further enrage the Wade family, then this gloating tweet from the National Basketball Referees Association may have done the trick in sending the couple further over the edge.
To be fair, referees in late-game situations are in a very difficult spot. They get criticized if they don't let the players decide things, and they get criticized for bailing guys out. It really did seem as though one or both of the defenders committed a foul on Wade here, but a day later, the NBA chose to back its officials 100 percent.
The referees are not always right, but on this call we were. #NBA confirms the non-call in the L2M https://t.co/HhLkl0zB5v @itsgabrielleu
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) April 28, 2016
