MIAMI (AP) A critical 3-pointer that helped the Washington Wizards defeat the Miami Heat should not have counted because of an uncalled traveling violation, the NBA said Tuesday.
The league said Bradley Beal traveled on the play where he passed to Gary Neal for a 3-pointer with just over a minute left in Miami on Monday night. Instead of the Heat having the ball down by two, they took over down by five and wound up losing 114-103.
Beal’s uncalled travel was one of 14 plays reviewed by the league as part of its normal procedure after close games, and the only call deemed to be incorrect.
”Beal … loses the ball while in the air without a defender making contact with the ball and catches it upon landing,” the NBA said.
Beal went up near the rim between Miami defenders Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic before losing the ball. He caught it without either Heat player touching it first, and then passed to Neal in the right corner.
Neal made the 3 while the Heat were already arguing with referees Mark Lindsay, Michael Smith and Kevin Scott about the travel. Replay was used to determine if Neal beat the shot clock, but the traveling issue was not reviewable.
Bosh was ejected for the second time in his career not long after Neal’s shot.
The NBA publishes reviews of calls and notable non-calls of all games that had margins of five points or less in the final 2 minutes of regulation and overtime.
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