The NBA released its latest last 2-minute report on Friday afternoon, and it says Washington Wizards assistant coach Sidney Lowe should have received a technical foul with 7.6 seconds to play in Thursday night’s game between the Wizards and New York Knicks, which Washington won, 113-110, in New York.
Lowe was a step onto the floor yelling toward players during the Wizards’ final defensive possession. At one point in the final possession, he stood to the right of Knicks guard Courtney Lee, who was near the left corner, in front of the Wizards bench. When the ball was passed to Lee by Carmelo Anthony, Lowe jumped back toward the bench. Lee chose to pump fake against the closing Kelly Oubre, drove and kicked the ball out again. The Knicks would not get a shot off in the possession.
After the game, Lee told reporters that he mistook Lower for another defender.
“I thought it was one of their players because I was getting ready to shoot and in my peripheral you see a body right there and he is saying, ’I am right here! I am right here! I got your stunt!’” Lee said. “Usually in basketball terminology, that is a switch or I am going to jump out, so I shot-faked and drove. I still should have shot the shot.
“So I don’t shoot it, I drop the ball thinking it is going to be a double closeout and I try to make a play to Brandon [Jennings] and I think he bobbled the ball a little bit and that is the end of the game. Come to find out it was the assistant coach, not a player.
“I don’t know if it was part of the defensive scheme for a coach to be out there and saying that and being on the floor standing next to me, but it happens. We lost. I should have shot it.”
The comment from the 2-minute report was as follows:
A WAS assistant coach stands on the floor close to Lee (NYK) for several seconds and should have been assessed a technical foul.
Lowe was fined $5,000 for the incident. The team was hit with a $15,000 fine.
The Wizards practiced Friday in Detroit, but did not have media availability. Coach Scott Brooks is expected to address the incident before Saturday’s game against the Pistons.
The league also pointed out the Wizards point guard John Wall double-dribbled on his breakaway dunk with 16 seconds to play, which was the final field goal of the game. The 2-minute report stated that the double-dribble was only visible via “enhanced video” and therefore it did not receive a ruling of correct or incorrect non-call.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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