On a night when Karl-Anthony Towns' record-setting 62 points was supposed to be the main story for the Minnesota Timberwolves, it instead turned into a heartbreaking loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Of course, there were a lot of factors that went into breaking a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Timberwolves players simply couldn't understand some calls from the officials, especially in the final two minutes of the game. Ta.
The NBA's report on officiating the game found that the umpire missed 10 calls in the final two minutes, including one where he believed Towns was fouled on a layup. Minnesota could have taken a one-point lead with just seconds left.
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#32 Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Target Center in Minneapolis on January 22, 2024. (David Berding/Getty Images)
The NBA's “Last Two Minute Report” states that the league will review the remaining two minutes of a game when the game was down by three points or less, and as a result, Hornets' Leaky Black was in a shooting motion during a game. It turns out he made contact with Towns' arm. He attempted a layup with 4.5 seconds left in the game.
In fact, it turned out that Towns was fouled when Terry Rozier made contact with his arm while trying to collect the ball past Towns.
62 points from Timberwolves head coach Karl-Anthony Towns also beats team after loss: 'Immature basketball'
Had the foul been called, Towns likely would have scored more than 62 points on the night (a new Timberwolves single-game scoring record) and Minnesota could have regained the win.
Instead, Towns spoke with officials and a video review showed he made the right decision.
Karl-Anthony Towns, No. 32, of the Minnesota Timberwolves takes a shot during the second quarter of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Target Center in Minneapolis on January 22, 2024. (David Berding/Getty Images)
Black dropped to the other side of the court and made both free throws, extending the Hornets' lead to three points.
Towns had another chance to score, but this time it was a three-ball with one second left, sending the game into overtime. However, he was unable to knock down the shot, and an NBA report found that Miles Bridges' contest on the shot was clean.
The league ruled that they missed two travel and two personal fouls, and six of the 10 missed calls by the referee were in favor of Charlotte.
#32 Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves faces #25 PJ Washington of the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at Target Center in Minneapolis on January 22, 2024. (David Berding/Getty Images)
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Officiating aside, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch clearly placed the blame on his players, calling it “disgusting” and “immature” for them to let such a lead slip away.
