NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The Oklahoma City Thunder’s go-ahead basket late in their playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets was offensive basket interference and should not have counted, the NBA said yesterday.
Kendrick Perkins put the Thunder ahead for good in Sunday’s opening game of their first-round series when he tipped in a ball that caromed off the rim with 1:05 to play. Denver players immediately looked to officials to wave it off.
“Kendrick Perkins was improperly credited with a basket that should have been ruled offensive basket interference,” the league said in a statement.
“Although a player is permitted to touch the net while the ball is in the cylinder above the rim, Perkins also touched the ball while it was still in the cylinder which is a violation and constitutes goaltending.”
The best-of-seven games series resumes tomorrow in Oklahoma City.
