Referees inexplicably swallowed their whistles on Saturday night after Monta Ellis clearly hacked Austin Rivers as time ran out. The League admitted that it was a mistake on Sunday. From the Star-Telegram and press release:

“I can’t really comment, I’m not trying to lose any money over this,” Rivers said after the game. “An unfortunate event happened.”

“It happens in basketball. We made mistakes down the stretch and you can’t put the game in the hands of somebody else, so it’s not the referees fault.”

Rod Thorn, NBA President, Basketball Operations, issued the following statement Sunday regarding a missed foul call late in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Mavericks’ 110-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 11, at American Airlines Center.

“After reviewing postgame video, we have determined a foul should have been called on Dallas’ Monta Ellis for illegal contact on the arms of New Orleans’ Austin Rivers while Rivers was attempting a three-point field goal. Rivers should have been awarded three free throws with 0.6 left on the clock.”

