Kings have received worst NBA officiating fate in crunch time, report proves
New stat proves terrible plight in Kings’ latest two-minute report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Kings’ rivalry with the NBA’s latest two-minute report has taken another unfortunate but rather expected turn.
Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach revealed there were 36 incorrect or no-calls included in the final two-minute report after the Kings’ close 22 games this season.
Only 13 of those 36 referee errors went in favor of the Kings. That’s a clip of 36.1%, the lowest percentage in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Kings’ rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, had the second most favorable results in umpiring (61.8%). The Clippers (63.2%) top the list, while the Utah Jazz (38.1%) are the only other team besides Sacramento under 40%.
Rohrback compiled data for all NBA games through Jan. 28, meaning the Kings’ 118-111 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night was not included.
The final two-minute report from that game revealed a foul should have been called on Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell for making contact with Kings forward Trey Lyles during a practice with 1:40 remaining in the game. extension. It could have thrown the game out of control much sooner.
For those keeping track at home, that means the Kings have had favorable calls in the final two-minute report just 13 times in 37 attempts – a 35.1% clip.
That same report also confirmed that Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels did not travel on their 3-point tie on Monday night, which baffled many Kings fans given the incriminating evidence on the replay.
The two most memorable Kings moments that ended up on the wrong end of the last two-minute report happened at the start of this season.
In Sacramento’s 110-107 loss to the Miami Heat on Nov. 2, Tyler Herro hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left. The NBA confirmed the next day that a travel violation should have been called.
The story continues
Five days later, on Nov. 7, Kings goaltender Kevin Huerter missed a potential draw as time expired in a three-point loss to the Golden State Warriors, only to learn the next day that Klay Thompson should have been whistled for a foul.
“It hurts me to say that, but yeah,” Huerter said in November when asked if he’s observed a difference in the way Kings games are officiated. “Honestly. It’s something that in the first [nine] games was noticeable.
“I won’t say which teammates, but a few teammates who have been here have said, ‘Things are different here at Sac. We don’t get many calls. You will realize with each match that things are different. ‘ Honestly, that’s something I’ve felt so far.”
None of those missed calls would have guaranteed wins for the Kings, but they would have allowed Sacramento to steal both games in overtime.
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Entering Wednesday’s roster, only two games separate the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference from the No. 10 spot — the final qualifying tournament spot. The Kings (28-21) have just a 1.5 game cushion over the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (29-25).
Every game counts. Every win counts. And every whistle in critical times counts.
If you believe the cliché that things balance out over a full 82-game season, the Kings deserve plenty of good calls in their last 33 games.