It's a well-known rule in basketball that the referees are part of the playing court. Whether they get hit by the ball that leads to an easy basket or causes a team to lose a possession, players won't be able to contest it and whatever call was made, or a non-call in some cases, will be final.
Washington Wizards center Ian Mahinmi learned about this the hard way on Tuesday during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After securing the loose ball, the French international attempted to throw an outlet pass to Kelly Oubre for the possible fastbreak. However, referee Tony Brothers was in the way and was hit by the ball square to his head, causing it to go out of bounds instead in favor of the visiting team.
The good news for the Wizards was that they still ended up with the victory on the night despite the turnover. Led by Otto Porter's 25 points, six rebounds, and three assists, along with Bradley Beal's 21 points, six rebounds, and nine assists, the Wizards frustrated the Thunder by recording a 102-96 win.
The victory improved their record to 28-22 for the season and are currently on a two-game winning streak despite playing without John Wall, who is slated to miss the next six to eight weeks as he will undergo a procedure on his knee.
The Thunder, on the other hand, saw their eight-game run of success snapped and now have a 30-21 record, good for fifth place in the tough Western Conference. Paul George top-scored for them with 28 points and added six rebounds across his name.
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