Mavericks get screwed with refs' late no-call on PJ Washington fastbreak

The Dallas Mavericks weren't able to flip homecourt in the opening of the 2024 NBA Finals, getting blown out in Game 1 before losing a tight one in Boston for Game 2 to the Celtics. They now head back home to the DFW facing a 2-0 series deficit and needing to right the ship in a hurry.

But if not for the refs swallowing their whistles, that might not have been the case after Sunday night's Game 2.

After trailing by double digits late in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks trimmed the Celtics' lead to just five points. That's when Dallas forward PJ Washington got loose on a fastbreak and seemed as if he was about to make it a one-possession game with a breakaway dunk. But instead, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown chased Washington down and blocked his shot.

Or did they get away with one?

Mavericks fall victim to highly questionable no-call on PJ Washington in Game 2

If you look a bit closer at the play, Brown appears to extend his arm into Washington's back as the Mavs forward rises up for the dunk. Meanwhile, it also appears that White may not have gotten all-ball for his part of the block with a little bit of hand being involved.

Mike Breen on the call for ABC and ESPN even agreed to as much on the broadcast, saying there should've been a foul call. And you can see clearly in the slow-mo angle from behind why he believes that.

That's a devastating time for the officials to not make a call, especially in a moment that ultimately decided the game!

Now, to be sure, there's no guarantee that the Mavericks cutting the lead to three with roughly 50 seconds left in the game would've changed the outcome. However, we'll never know with any kind of certainty, and that's absolutely the problem.

Officiating, particularly on a stage as big as the NBA Finals, is always going to be a hot-button issue among fans. However, it's rare that a missed call by the refs is going to be called out by the broadcast and look pretty plain in virtually every video we see. The Celtics certainly aren't complaining about the lack of the whistle but it's definitely a tough pill to swallow for Jason Kidd's team and every Mavs fan right now -- especially when it solidifies the team into its 0-2 hole in the Finals.