Irony in full force! Last month, the NBA brought in a new rule in reaction to a loophole in the review system that affected the Minnesota Timberwolves championship run. Unfortunately, months after the postseason misery, the Wolves themselves have fallen prey to the new rule. Notably, Anthony Edwards & Co. took both these frustrating blows against the same side, the Dallas Mavericks. Let’s take a look at the new rule and the controversial play that forced the league to refine the old rule. And, of course, the ironic moment from Tuesday night.

It’s the all-new “proximate contact” rule that came into action after the Points of Emphasis media call in September. To understand the call better, we have to roll the clock back to the 2024 Western Conference Finals between the Wolves and Mavs. With 1 down in the series, the Minnesota side had the opportunity to level the series in Game 2.

With 47 seconds left in the game, the Wolves held a two-point lead (108-106) over the Mavs. At that time, the Wolves’ Jaden McDaniels saved the ball from going out of bounds, but it eventually went out of bounds after Kyrie Irving swiped at McDaniels’ hands. Even though Irving didn’t touch the ball, the ref gave possession of the ball to the Wolves. This is where the Dallas side utilized the loophole in the review system.

Coach Jason Kidd strategically called for a possession challenge, hoping to reverse the call. The replay clearly showed that Kai’s hands hadn’t touched the ball, leading the referees to overturn the decision and award possession to the Mavs. Although there was evidence of Irving fouling McDaniels, the specifics of the challenge left the officials no choice but to focus solely on possession. This decision set the stage for Luka Dončić, who nailed a game-winning three-pointer, sealing a dramatic 109-108 victory for Dallas in Game 2.

So, what’s the Jaden McDaniels rule?

Ideally, in that play, the refs should have called a foul on Kyrie Irving before determining the ball possession. Under the old possession rule, refs couldn’t check for fouls, but the new rule, thanks to Jaden McDaniels, allows them to review fouls on out-of-bounds challenges when players are in close proximity to the play.

The new rule would not only have allowed the Wolves to retain possession of the ball but also would have resulted in a foul on Kyrie Irving. It’s important to note that the team that gains possession of the ball after the proximity challenge cannot subsequently challenge for a foul call instead of possession. Furthermore, a report indicated that officials created this rule in the hopes that teams wouldn’t exploit the out-of-bounds rule, as seen in the Irving-McDaniels play during the Conference Finals.

This rule wouldn’t have seen the light of the day if not for Luka Doncic‘s game-winner. And the Slovenian star was influential in using this new rule wisely against the same Wolves on Tuesday. Let’s take a closer look at how the new rule backfired the Timberwolves.

How did the Wolves manage to turn their own sword against them?

Well, the Mavs continue to have the last laugh. After cutting short the Wolves’ postseason run, the Texas side once again managed to defeat the Wolves in the regular season. Moreover, as a cherry on top of the cake, the Mavs used the new Jaden McDaniels rule against the Wolves and continued to rub salt in their wounds.

Unfortunately, it’s Rudy Gobert once again. The French big man hasn’t had a great since the 2024 playoffs. Despite winning the DPOY award four times, Gobert is still considered as an underperforming defender. Especially, France’s coach’s decision to bench during the Paris Olympics further fueled the fire. Anyway, we hope that Gobert can turn it around in the days to come.

Nevertheless, heading back to the subject, Gobert fell prey to the new rule. Around the 9th minute mark in the last quarter, Luka Doncic ran up the lane against Rudy Gobert for a layup and ended up passing the ball to Daniel Gafford at the last second. The ball went out of bounds with Gafford as the last contact. Doncic seemed visibly upset with the call as if he was expecting a foul call. The Mavs didn’t stop there. They went on to avail the new rule and requested the out-of-bounds challenge. Guess what? The refs overturned the call after pointing out Gobert’s foul in the proximity of the play.

The Mavs continue to have the last laugh, as they won the game 120-114 despite Anthony Edwards‘ thunderous 37-point effort. Nevertheless, the Wolves have an opportunity to pay back on the big stage. They take on the Mavs once again during the Christmas Day games. The Minnesota side cannot have a better opportunity than this to get back at them. What do you think of the new rule? Will it reduce the errors in judgment going forward? Let us know in the comments below.