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With Portland trailing Utah by 2 in the final seconds Friday night, Damian Lillard drove to the hoop for a layup. The shot blocked by Rudy Gobert after the ball touched the backboard, which is a textbook case of goaltending. However, the referees made no call, a key factor in Portland’s eventual 117-114 loss to the Jazz.
CORRECTION, this is a foul AND a goaltend. There is no way the refs can miss that. They’ll get no solace from the L2M report tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ZQnEU6VIAW
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) February 8, 2020
Since the referees did not blow a whistle, it was not considered reviewable, leaving no recourse for Portland. After Utah made a free throw, Portland had one last shot at tying, but Utah left Caleb Swanigan open from three, and it bounced out.
After the game, Lillard was furious at the officials, and let them know it.
Damian Lillard was furious after the no-call toward the end of the Blazers’ loss. pic.twitter.com/KHrr6AZhgd
— ESPN (@espn) February 8, 2020
The Blazers eventually got Lillard to the locker room, as the team heads home after a tough loss.
In his postgame press conference, Blazers coach Terry Stotts said the missed call was “inexcusable” and that the players were “pretty pissed off” in the locker room afterward.