NBA: Timberwolves blow out Karl-Anthony Towns’ 62-point performance against the Hornets in the final two minutes due to referee errors

Karl-Anthony Towns expressed frustration when officials did not call a foul on his late go-ahead shot attempt in Monday’s 128-125 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Subsequently, the NBA revealed on Tuesday that Towns was fouled twice during that play. The league concluded that officials missed a staggering 10 calls in the final two minutes of the game between the Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Despite Towns’ outstanding performance, matching his career high and tying the Timberwolves franchise record with 62 points, the Hornets mounted a comeback from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, denying what could have been a standout night for Towns. In the closing moments of the game, with the Hornets leading 126-125 and the clock ticking below 7 seconds, Towns, standing at 7 feet, posted up against the 6-foot-1 Terry Rozier above the free-throw line. He made a move towards the basket but lost control of the ball amid a group of Hornets defenders, missing the opportunity to break the record and give Minnesota the lead.

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Despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ appeals for a foul, no whistle was blown. Subsequently, the Hornets secured the win by making two free throws on the opposite end.

According to the NBA’s last-two-minute report released on Tuesday, the league acknowledged that Towns was fouled twice during the play. The report indicated that Terry Rozier fouled Towns during the gather, and Leaky Black was found to have illegally swiped at Towns’ arm on his drive to the basket, particularly on the shot attempt.

The NBA identified 10 missed calls by officials in the final 1:57 of game time, with six of those calls favoring the Hornets, including the crucial late drive by Karl-Anthony Towns. The league also noted two travels and two uncalled personal fouls on Charlotte.

Among the officiating errors were assigning a personal foul to the wrong Hornets player and three instances of incorrect non-calls on fouls committed by the Timberwolves.

It’s essential to acknowledge that these officiating mistakes do not excuse the Minnesota Timberwolves’ collapse, a performance strongly criticized by head coach Chris Finch as “disgusting” and “immature.” Despite the officiating issues, the Timberwolves had already relinquished their 15-point lead, and the Hornets had secured a 126-121 advantage before the problematic final two minutes.

While the Timberwolves ultimately lost the game, it’s clear that the officials’ performance left room for improvement, emphasizing the need for a better job in officiating.