Ah, the NBA Last Two Minutes reports—where the league officially breaks down the final moments of close games, often leaving fans with more questions than answers. It has unsurprisingly a mix of validation and frustration for teams and fanbases alike, as it dissects critical calls (or non-calls) that can sway the outcome.
The latest report involving Julius Randle and the Suns is no exception, sparking yet another round of debate over officiating in crunch time. According to the report, Randle’s push-off on Josh Okogie during a pivotal moment was deemed a correct no-call.
But here’s the kicker: the report also acknowledges a missed travel on Randle during the final possession—a play that could’ve changed everything. For Suns fans, this only adds salt to the wound, as the missed travel potentially cost them a fair shot at a win. It’s safe to say the debate over how the game ended isn’t dying down anytime soon.
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PHNX Sports’ Gerald Bourguet tweeted the update on X. “Fun stuff on the NBA’s Last 2 Minutes report. Says Julius Randle’s push-off on Josh Okogie was a correct no-call, but also that there was a missed travel on the final play by Randle. So the Suns still got screwed on the last possession.”
Bourguet’s tweet sums up the frustration perfectly, pointing out that while the push-off was deemed a correct no-call, the missed travel adds fuel to the fire. It’s a call that could have drastically altered the final outcome, leaving Suns fans feeling like the deck was stacked against them. With all this controversy hanging in the air, it’s hard to ignore the wild sequence that led to the dramatic finish.
The Julius Randle buzzer-beater drama
There is no doubt all of you remember the wild buzzer-beater by Julius Randle that helped the Timberwolves finish the matchup without going into overtime. While the crowd erupted in frenzy, there was still this tiny-teeny issue involving the Suns’ forward/guard Josh Okogie. As Randle was on his way to drain his step-back three-pointer, he ended up also hitting Okogie, which sent him stumbling and sprawled on the floor.
via Imago Nov 17, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) hits a game-winning three-pointer against the Phoenix Suns as time expires in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
According to the report, officials deemed Randle’s push-off on the 26-year-old a correct no-call. However, the real controversy lies in what the report flagged as a missed travel by Julius Randle on the final play. This missed travel invalidates the legitimacy of the sequence leading up to his game-winning shot.
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For Suns fans, it’s a tough pill to swallow. The missed violation raises the question of whether the outcome could’ve swung in their favor if the officials had correctly called the play, despite Okogie’s fall possibly being deemed incidental. Randle’s incident happened just a few hours after the Jayson Tatum-Raptors L2M report was announced.
As per the Last Two Minutes report shared by Raptors and Blue Jays analyst for Sportsnet, Blake Murphy, there were multiple missed calls. A major one was the Tatum-Poeltl foul. With 26 seconds left, Poeltl was potentially guilty of a 3-second violation, while Tatum seemingly fouled him without any whistle being blown. To make matters worse, Tatum traveled on the game-winning shot, but Mitchell had also committed an uncalled foul on Brown earlier.
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The play ended with Poeltl losing his balance and turning the ball over, capping off one of four incorrect calls in the final stretch of regulation and overtime.
Circling back to Julius Randle, the missed travel on the ex-Knick highlights how a single call can alter a game’s fate. The frustration surrounding this decision is far from over, and the debate will likely continue to fuel discussions across the NBA.