The NBA's last two minute officiating report from Thursday says Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert fouled Portland Trail Blazers small forward Carmelo Anthony on his game-tying 3-point shot attempt late in Thursday night's game.
The Blazers lost to the Jazz by a final score of 121-115:
NBA L2M from Jazz/Blazers says Rudy Gobert made contact with Carmelo Anthony's arm on his game-tying 3-point shot attempt.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) December 27, 2019
Anthony was pretty upset after the foul wasn't called. The Blazers made a valiant comeback effort against the Jazz after trailing by as much as 23 points in the second half, but couldn't come up with the victory in the end. If Anthony had been awarded three free throws, Portland would have had a chance to tie the game and may have ultimately won.
With the win, the Jazz improved to 19-12 on the season. They are in the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings and 7-3 in their last 10 games. Slowly but surely, the Jazz are starting to look like the team many thought they would resemble this season.
The Blazers, meanwhile, dropped to 14-18. While they are in the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, the Blazers are just 5-5 over their last 10 games after an up-and-down start to the season. Portland can't fall too far back in the standings since the Western Conference is so competitive.
These last two minute reports are always controversial for players, coaches and fans. Blazers fans knew watching the game live that Anthony got fouled by Gobert, while Jazz fans were thankful the refs called the play in their favor and ultimately sealed an important win. These calls get missed all the time, so Portland will have to chalk it up to bad luck and move on.
In the end, the Blazers weren't able complete the full comeback against their division rival, but they should still be applauded for their efforts.
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