Fact Check: Was PJ Washington Actually Fouled by Derrick White? Coach Jason Kidd Addresses Controversial Game 2 Ending

Jason Kidd refused to mince words after the controversial no-call at the end. After the disappointing blowout loss in Game 1, Dallas had the opportunity to win Game 2. Despite trailing Boston almost throughout the game, the Mavs could have cut down their lead to 3 points with 50-odd seconds remaining in the game. With 47 seconds remaining on the clock, Kyrie Irving made a sneaky pass to PJ Washington during the fastbreak. The 25-year-old, followed by Derrick White and Jaylen Brown, sprinted to the rim for a splash.

Unfortunately, the ball hit the rim and bounced off, but at the same time, White committed a foul by making contact with Washington. However, the refs failed to blow the whistle and within a matter of a few seconds, the game was in the Celtics’ hands. Speaking of the controversial play, Jason Kidd said, “Looked like a foul. But it wasn’t called, so it wasn’t a foul,” in the post-game presser.

Even though Jason Kidd spoke diplomatically, a close-up replay raises big questions. From the looks of it, White has made minimal yet substantial contact with the Mavs’ forward. Notably, the players didn’t have time to argue with the ref, as there were only 40-odd seconds remaining in the game. On top of it, the TD Garden crowd screamed at the top of their voice. Even the Mavs’ bench’s plead didn’t reach the refs’ ears. White was credited with a block, and JB collected the call to drop a driving layup to take the lead to 7 points.

Following that, the Mavs didn’t have any response, as they succumbed to back-to-back losses in Boston. Now, the Mavs head back to Texas with a dire need to win both games to get back alive in the series.

PJ Washington shines amid Kyrie Irving’s yet another disaster

Kyrie Irving, the leader of the pack, had once fallen prey to the TD Garden curse. After a disappointing outing in Game 1, he was expected to break his shackles tonight. Unfortunately, he again went 7-18 FG, dropping 16 points. Notably, he has yet to open his account from the arc in the series. Tonight he went 0-3 from the perimeter.

However, on the other end, PJ Washington showed instances of resistance throughout the game. Tonight, he played 40 minutes, dropping 17 points with a 6-13 FG and 7 rebounds. If he had managed to jam the bucket at the end, he would have emerged as the hero of the night. But, he did play his part in the Mavs’ 9-0 run at the end to cut down the lead to 5.

During a play, Dallas had Kristaps Porzingis guarding him at the perimeter and he still shot the ball. But, the ball hit the rim and bounced off. Immediately, he moved swiftly ahead of Porzingis to collect the rebound and made a lay-up. If the star continues to show his fight at one end, the Mavs can surely come back alive in the series.

What do you make of the controversial no-call? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video