NBA’s Glaring Concern Exposed Again As Clippers Steal Win From 76ers Jaws, Courtesy of a Controversial Call

In a thrilling performance between the Joel Embiid-less 76ers vs the Clippers, the latter snapped their two-game skid to escape a narrow loss. But it didn’t come without issues. The Wells Fargo Center was witness to another officiating incompetence. The NBA this season hasn’t been in any shortage of fouls not called or unnecessary calls being made. And this time, Kelly Oubre Jr. was at the heart of the issue.

Oubre had gotten an open lane to attack the rim at the buzzer, but he was fouled by Paul George. Kawhi Leonard had then blocked his shot. But the foul wasn’t called and he wasted no time going to talk with the ref. The Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey tweeted that the foul should have indeed been called.

His post said, “In postgame video review, the officials determined that a foul should have been called on Paul George in closing second. However, no foul was called and the Clippers escaped with a 108-107 victory over the Sixers.”

Philly showed extreme resilience throughout the game. They were just down by one point when Oubre drove to the basket in a desperate attempt to save the game. He would have gotten away with it, too, had the refs called the foul. It would have granted him a free throw which may or may not have worked out in the Sixers’ favour.

But clearly, that opportunity was taken away from them. Nick Nurse was almost livid with rage as he rushed to the court to question why the call wasn’t made. Following him was Kelly Oubre Jr., and although other team personnel held coach Nurse back, Oubre didn’t leave without hurling a few choice words at every ref there.

Kelly Oubre Jr. gets an NSFW message across to the officials

The 76ers had as much as a 15-point lead and homecourt advantage before the Clippers mounted a comeback. And when a final chance presented itself, it was simply blown off. So, it’s understandable why Oubre and Nurse would lose their cool. Not to mention, no one wants to lose games so close to playoffs.

Read More: As Trouble Haunts 76ers, Kelly Oubre Breaks Silence on “B**ch” Outrage Aimed at 3 NBA Refs

So, after the buzzer went off, Kelly’s frustrations bubbled over in a few NSFW words for the referees. He said, “You’re a b**ch, you’re a b**ch, you’re a b**ch…your mom’s a b**ch, your dad’s a b**ch, your grandma’s a b**ch,” pointing to each ref present there.

Of course, post-game saw Oubre apologize for the outburst, saying that he understood how the refs are human too and mistakes can happen. But he was not in the least happy with losing their chance. How long do you think these incidents will continue happening before some action will be taken?

If not against the officials, at least a method to ensure that the appropriate calls are made. With the NBA acclimating itself to technology, the league can definitely find a solution to keep such instances from repeating. Wouldn’t you agree?