The NBA is stepping into the spotlight, reminding the NFL that questionable calls aren’t exclusive to football. During a close matchup on TNT between the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, Charles Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew were nearly left speechless by a controversial officiating decision.
In the game’s final moments, the Rockets held a one-point lead over the Grizzlies. After a defensive stop, Jaylen Wells raced down the court for what looked to be a go-ahead layup. However, the referees inexplicably granted a timeout to Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, who hadn’t called for one, while his team was on a breakaway.
Jenkins erupted on the sidelines, prompting the Grizzlies staff to come off the bench in protest. Fortunately for Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. was fouled shortly after and made two free throws, securing a 120-119 victory for the Grizzlies. Despite the win, the post-game discussion was dominated by criticism from Barkley.
‘Inside the NBA’ shows another replay angle, again showing that Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins was not calling a timeout.
“The ref just blew the call, plain and simple.” – Charles Barkley 🏀🦓🎙️ #NBA https://t.co/JbCPsMKb2I pic.twitter.com/AxzM0Rmezp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 31, 2025
“I’m glad it didn’t come back to bite the Grizz, but the referee made a mistake, plain and simple. He’s not even coming close to calling timeout,” Barkley stated. He added, “Dillon Brooks has got his hands up like, ‘I thought I heard a whistle,’ so there’s a lot going on, but the ref just blew the call, plain and simple.”
While one might understand a referee anticipating a timeout in such situations, calling a whistle without one is a significant officiating error. This incident may fade from memory given Memphis’s victory, but let’s hope we don’t witness a similar blunder during the Super Bowl, especially for those Kansas City Chiefs conspiracy theorists.
