Last Two Minute Report lists no mistakes in Kings 109-108 loss to Atlanta

Nov 19, 2024, 12:27 PM | Updated: 2:42 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings complains to official...

De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings complains to official Pat Fraher during their game against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Golden 1 Center on November 18, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Sactown Sports writer

“Two-minute reports are always funny,” Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters after their 109-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Friday night.

Not long after the final buzzer, the guard referenced the polarizing final seconds of action.

The Last Two Minute report that came out the day after listed a clean sheet of officiating: no incorrect calls or missed non-calls. Based on their comments in the postgame, I’d bet more than a few of Sacramento’s players and staffers were surprised by the release.

Down one point in the final moments, the Kings forced a tough shot from De’Andre Hunter that clanked off the rim. Jordan McLaughlin got the defensive rebound with 8.2 seconds remaining. He instantly found Fox, allowing him to use his elite speed in transition—a decision that players and coaches doubled down on postgame rather than calling a timeout.

Fox went at Hunter, but The Great Barrier Thief lurked in the background. Dyson Daniels earned that nickname this season as an ode to his Australian background and defensive prowess. After Monday’s game, he still leads the league in steals per game (3.4), one steal higher than Paul George (2.4) in second place.

As Fox went up for the shot, Daniels swiped down. It was hard to tell if he hit the wrist, hand, ball, or some combination of the three. But there was no whistle.

Forget ‘The Great Barrier Thief’, Dyson Daniels is ‘Block-odile Dundee’!! 🚫🚫

Daniels lead the Hawks with FOUR blocks, including the GAME-WINNING possession to lead Atlanta to a HUGE win over the Kings! 🔥 #NBA

📊 14 PTS | 8 REB | 4 BLK | 4 AST pic.twitter.com/jjIC1OtGSx

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) November 19, 2024

After the game, Fox was frustrated with the lack of a call. “The hand is part of the ball when it’s convenient,” he said bluntly. Maybe he spoke with an official about it because the last two minute report justified that as a correct no-call in a very similar fashion.

“Daniels makes clean contact with the ball to dislodge it from Fox’s possession and any contact with Fox’s hand on the ball is considered incidental,” the report reads.

His wife, Recee, also shared this view of the final moment on social media. This camera angle may have been seen if the play had been reviewed, but with the final buzzer sounding quickly afterward, Kings’ head coach Mike Brown had no opportunity to challenge it.

lol pic.twitter.com/UnaSew5TDl

— Recee Fox (@Cee_Caldwell) November 19, 2024

With roughly 2.5 seconds remaining, Daniels chased the loose ball and attempted to keep it inbound. His heel hovered over the baseline while he had possession before it eventually touched white paint, but it was tough to tell if he had already released the ball by then. It was a game of inches.

“I couldn’t see it from where I was,” Coach Brown said about the moment. “Our video guys saw it, and it looked like there were point-nine seconds on the clock. It looked like (Daniels) stepped out of bounds. So, it will be one of those things in the last two-minute report if he did step out of bounds… and, if he didn’t, they were right.”

It turned out to be the latter.

The Last Two Minute Report said it was a correct no-call, stating that “Daniels avoids stepping out of bounds prior to releasing the pass.”

It’s amazing how often a 48-minute game comes down to inches and margins, but the outcome would never change, even if the report read otherwise. The Hawks entered Golden 1 Center and secured a narrow 109-108 victory over the injury-riddled Kings.

On to the next one.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will enjoy a much-needed three-day break before facing the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

The Kings and Clippers will cross paths in another NBA Cup group play game, with Sacramento (0-1) and Los Angeles (0-1) each seeking their first win in the Western Conference Group A standings.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Clippers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:30 PM PT from Inglewood.