Closely squeezed by Ochai Agbaji, the Celtics All-Star winger played with his pivot foot before taking four dribbles then getting up to a three-pointer.
But in slow motion, we clearly see that Tatum’s left foot moves before he begins his dribble. A walk should have been whistled by the referees, giving the Raptors a match point with seconds to play. This admission is of no consequence: the match will not be replayed and leaves Boston with 11 victories in 14 matches, chasing Cleveland, undefeated leader of the Eastern Conference.
But in the report, the NBA still noted that a foul should have been called in favor of Boston a few seconds before Tatum’s basket. MVP of the 2024 Finals, Jaylen Brown was coming back to his teammate through a screen when Davion Mitchell sent him to the ground. A forgotten whistle then another in a difficult end to the match for the refereeing trio formed by Kevin Scott, Justin Van Duyne and Simone Jelks.
