San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich isn't a massive fan of the NBA's Last Two Minutes reports, he told reporters on Thursday. This makes him just like most players and coaches in the league, many of whom have publicly said that the league admitting mistakes doesn't make you feel any better if you're on the wrong end of an incorrect call.
The Spurs, of course, have been involved in controversial late-game plays in two of their three losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. In Game 2, Dion Waiters pushed Manu Ginobili on an inbounds pass with 13.5 seconds left and the league found five errors on that possession alone. In Game 5, the report indicated that Kawhi Leonard should have been called for a (very obvious) foul on the floor just before Russell Westbrook made a 3-point play, plus Steven Adams should have been whistled for a foul that was incorrectedly assessed to Danny Green.
"You'd have to ask them exactly why they do it," Popovich said Thursday, via ESPN's Michael C. Wright. "It doesn't change anything. For the people involved, it's very frustrating because there's nothing you can do about it. So it's sort of an odd practice in that sense, but I think they just want to have transparency. So from their perspective it's a good thing so that people know they can admit errors, that's always a good thing, and people won't just guess about what's going on. So from their perspective it's a good thing and that's hard to argue with.
"But it is frustrating when things happen like what happened in Game 2 and the last game at the end. But again, officials aren't doing that on purpose, They're going to miss things, it's a tough deal. I'm absolutely frustrated and angry that the calls weren't made. But it happens to everybody along the way. I've been in the business long enough, you end up on both sides of it, for sure. So you let it go so you can play the next game."
That's a very Popovichian way to look at it -- the league has it for a reason, but it doesn't do anything for the teams. There are no real consequences when the reports are released, so who cares? You just move on.
Game 6 between San Antonio and Oklahoma City is Thursday. Here's hoping the officiating doesn't become a storyline this time.
