Rockets upset by lack of review on Chris Paul's below-the-belt foul in Game 3 loss to Thunder
It would not have changed the final result in their 119-107 Game 3 loss, but the Houston Rockets were notably frustrated postgame by the lack of further review on an offensive foul by Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul late in overtime.
With the Thunder up by 11 with 1:20 left, Paul was called for an offensive foul after hitting Houston's Ben McLemore below the belt when he was attempting to create separation for a jump shot.
Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni asked the officiating crew of David Guthrie, Ed Malloy, and Leon Wood to review the call for further action, such as a flagrant foul, but they did not do so. D'Antoni voiced his frustration and received a technical at the conclusion of the sequence.
When asked postgame if he thinks the NBA league office might review the play for disciplinary action before Game 4 on Monday, D'Antoni said he wasn't sure.
"I don't know. Who knows?" D'Antoni said. "I just asked the referee to just go over and review it. He might've been right. I wasn't clear, but I know my guy got hit in a bad place with an elbow, so go look at it. And if you're right, you're right. So be it.
"But it's not like in the bubble ... there must be entertainment going on somewhere, because what else do we have to do? Let's just go over and look at it, and come back and play basketball."
D'Antoni said he did not get an explanation from the officiating crew for the lack of a review: "Nothing. Crickets."
James Harden, who had fouled out, said he had a close view of the play from the Houston sideline.
"I saw what happened," Harden said. "Any time that happens, it should be reviewed, especially when it's not around a lot of people. I know I've done that, and it got reviewed before. That's all we were asking for was a review."
Did he think the foul was intentional?
"I don't know what it was, but it should have been reviewed," Harden said. "Especially if somebody gets hit in their private area. We ain't got anywhere to go, so it should have been reviewed. It wasn't, and I don't know why not.
In Oklahoma City's locker room, Paul — who is known for a similar incident back in his college days — said this one was unintentional.
"I tried to get by him," Paul said. "It was incidental. I know when I did it on purpose, that was in college. That was a long time ago. I checked on Ben, he said he was fine. I know Mike. He's gonna get mad, he's gonna yell and scream."
Game 4 is Monday at 4 ET. The controversial incident involving Paul, who played for the Rockets the last two seasons, should add even more juice to a suddenly competitive best-of-seven playoff series. Houston now leads the first-round battle 2-1.
Rockets Wire is part of the Paste BN Sports Media Group.