NBA Playoffs 2014: Refs miss pivotal goaltend in Game 6 of Spurs-Thunder (GIF)

Throughout the NBA playoffs, the referees haven’t been good. They’ve missed calls far too often and have ruined many games by calling fouls

And in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, the referees may have missed a goaltending call on Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder that may have cost the San Antonio Spurs the series.

Looking at the play, it clearly was a goal tend. Once the ball touches the backboard, the defender is unable to touch it, if so, it results in two points. The NBA recently installed a replay rule regarding the goal tend and you wonder what the purpose of the replay is if they aren’t allowed to review plays such as this in the remaining minutes of the game.

This is how series are swung. We all remember the call that occurred in Clippers-Thunder that allowed the Thunder to take hold of the series. Sure there was the Chris Paul turnover that delivered the opportunity for the Thunder to come back, but that call between Matt Barnes and Reggie Jackson is what fans remembered, causing controversy and forcing the NBA to respond to the play in a statement.

It’s short-sighted to blame the possible loss of a series on this missed call, but it’s that big a miss. Instead of being up two to end the game and win the series, the San Antonio Spurs have been forced to head to overtime against an Oklahoma City Thunder team that has baffled them all season.