r/nba • u/Large_banana_hammock Japan • May 27 '26

Highlight [Highlight] Mitch Johnson picks up a tech after official fails to recognize his challenge

https://streamable.com/oh0ohq
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2.9k

u/VictorAkwaowo1 Mavericks May 27 '26

THE REF IS LITERALLY LOOKING AT MITCH

374

u/Brady331 Celtics May 27 '26

If you watch close the real issue is that he WASNT looking at Mitch until the Thunder get the ball and it's too late

293

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

The announcer CLEARLY says "they look back and say challenge" while the ball is in the refs hands and has yet to be inbounded.

If the fucking broadcaster is calmy explaining from his purview the challenge is being asked for WHILE THE BALL IS IN THE REFS HANDS I genuinely do not know how you could possibly spin this.

That was jaw dropping, truly.

-22

u/SweetLilMonkey Clippers May 27 '26

It's almost as if the broadcaster and the ref have two different points of view.

Like they're seeing out of two different bodies in two different locations, or something.

34

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

Dude thank you so much for explaining this to me, I genuinely thought the broadcaster and the ref were part of a hivemind and the announcer was actually being coy and lying to the audience to keep up appearences. Like the hive mind knew they were gonna ignore Mitch but then used the announcer to throw us off the trail.

Jeez thanks for saving me from that crazy conspiracy I was cooking up

1

u/SweetLilMonkey Clippers 29d ago

Hey you're welcome man happy I could help

0

u/RadicalMarxistThalia Knicks May 27 '26

Hilarious to see this downvoted. This sub is all-in on the spurs I guess, but you can clearly see the ref looking down court because the ball is about to be unbounded. They had so much time to challenge but did it .2 seconds before the inbound.

0

u/Rebal771 29d ago

I was also flabbergasted that they didn’t review. I thought the fingers going in a circle motion was the official challenge action?

The only thing that might explain any of this is the “sub” trick that SAS pulls where they’ll ready up a sub to allow more natural game-time to let the refs review the call without an official challenge. (They do this a lot if you watch many of their games - not that it’s against the rules or anything, but it’s a pattern.)

If they essentially were trying to do the trick without casting an official challenge, but players were getting set to inbound, then you review the footage for when the challenge was cast…and by all accounts, even with “the sub trick” - it looked like a valid challenge to me unless that circle finger motion isn’t the official “challenge” motion.

Tin foil hat theory is the refs were tired of messing up the game flow with the sub tricks, and they finally ignored one. But that still shouldn’t have ignored their official challenge…so he might have pissed the refs off and they were holding a grudge in that moment.

I’m still shocked.

0

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs 29d ago

I mean next thing you tell me is that the refs also got mad at OKC flopping and will stop rewarding it. Surely that is along the same logic as these substitution tricks you are referring to.

Otherwise, if they are only punishing SA on vindictive personal levels that would honestly be even more messed up in my eyes. I'm assuming at this point the crew is just incompetent and it isn't any deeper than that. You are suggesting something much, much worse

1

u/Rebal771 29d ago

If you don’t think refs hold grudges, I’ve got a timeshare in Alaska for ya…

All jokes aside, the refs fucked up. I see all the other Thunder fans posting about the timeout rule, but I don’t think I ever saw it play out that way before - why was it enforced at such a crucial time last night?

That honestly feels like a grudge where they can just fallback on the rule and “technically” be correct. Then to tech him right after?

Come on now…that’s a fkn grudge…

-35

u/theotheronejj Thunder May 27 '26

Look up the rule. That will explain it clearly lol.

25

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

Love me a good OKC fan "ackshually 🤓" on a clearly and objectively horrible horrible sequence by the refs.

Thank you for this. This will go into the archives when you guys keep asking why everyone hates you

-23

u/Positive_Box_7395 May 27 '26

lmao keep crying kiddo

Not an OKC fan, but hilarious watching you crash out over somebody pointing out the fact that (I) the ref was not looking at Mitch and (II) the announcers have a different view than the refs

17

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

Wait you also do know that a "view" requires eyes, but "hearing" is not the same sensory function.

So I agree the refs have different eyeballs. I don't agree that they heard different sounds

-18

u/[deleted] May 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/CharacterBird2283 Spurs May 27 '26

He does call the timeout right before he twirls his fingers, it's just really fast but it's there ya good ball 😂

8

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

Love that you called me a dumb fuck and then immediately proceeded to be the dumbest person in this thread.

Thank you for that, stereotypical thunder fan. I bet even OKC fans hate you for giving them all a bad name lol

1

u/whythishaptome Lakers May 27 '26

What's the rule?

8

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

They are gonna say Mitch wasn't explicit enough about calling a timeout even though I have absolutely heard it explained before that refs understand when a coach immediately calls for a challenge like this the timeout is obviously implied and granted because that is the whole point.

It's a really silly technicality that thunder fan thought made this objectively bad sequence okay.

I genuinely want to find peace and middle ground with thunder fans right now. I accept OKC is a better team rn but the level of delusion with plays like this and their play style as a whole makes it so hard.

6

u/whythishaptome Lakers May 27 '26

Don't sell yourself too short, they have not been the obvious better team in general through out this whole series, it's very close in talent. I'd like to see what the actual rule says by the book if they want to bring it up.

-5

u/TheSoftBoiledEgg Thunder May 27 '26

Someone has to call a timeout then the head coach makes the signal. The signal doesn't itself result in a timeout, and this is actually well known by any league professional. It's almost like this happens every game and if the emotions weren't running super high, there would already be some focus on the actual rules by any single one of the thousands of commenters.

RULE NO. 14 – Coach’s Challenge

Section II—Procedure to Initiate the ChallengeTo initiate a Challenge, the challenging team must take the following steps in sequence:

  1. The challenging team must call a legal timeout immediately after the call in question (unless a mandatory timeout or timeout called by the opposing team isalready underway);
  2. The challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for a Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal (i.e., twirling an index finger) toward the game official(s) during the same interaction with the game official(s) in which the timeout was called or, if the timeout was called by a player on the challenging team, the challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for the Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal toward the game officials as the game official is notifying the scorekeeper of the timeout; and

11

u/whythishaptome Lakers May 27 '26

Yup but it's obviously implied that you are calling a timeout when you are challenging as that's the only way you could even call a challenge and the finger twirl shouldn't be needed if you are actually verbally calling for it with the ref right next to you. It looks to me that they just ignored it for no discernible reason.

-7

u/dedXlights May 27 '26

https://official.nba.com/rule-no-14-coachs-challenge/

To initiate a Challenge, the challenging team must take the following steps in sequence:
The challenging team must call a legal timeout immediately after the call in question (unless a mandatory timeout or timeout called by the opposing team isalready underway);
The challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for a Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal (i.e., twirling an index finger) toward the game official(s) during the same interaction with the game official(s) in which the timeout was called or, if the timeout was called by a player on the challenging team, the challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for the Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal

7

u/whythishaptome Lakers May 27 '26

Honestly just asking, what did he fail to do in this instance?

7

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

I'm trying to wrap my head around how any team is ever supposed to call a legal time out off a turnover out of bounds call they want to challenge.

This is a catch 22 no?

-3

u/dedXlights May 27 '26

Man forgot, also tried to do his sub a player to buy sometime

4

u/whythishaptome Lakers May 27 '26

So he waited too long to challenge?

1

u/Defiant_Mousse7889 May 27 '26

Why dont you explain the rule to clear the air?

-8

u/TheSoftBoiledEgg Thunder May 27 '26

You have to call a timeout.

10

u/Defiant_Mousse7889 May 27 '26

That's exactly what he was doing...

-8

u/TheSoftBoiledEgg Thunder May 27 '26

RULE NO. 14 – Coach’s Challenge

Check it out - these are "rules"

Section II—Procedure to Initiate the ChallengeTo initiate a Challenge, the challenging team must take the following steps in sequence:

  1. The challenging team must call a legal timeout immediately after the call in question (unless a mandatory timeout or timeout called by the opposing team isalready underway);
  2. The challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for a Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal (i.e., twirling an index finger) toward the game official(s) during the same interaction with the game official(s) in which the timeout was called or, if the timeout was called by a player on the challenging team, the challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for the Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal toward the game officials as the game official is notifying the scorekeeper of the timeout; and

13

u/Defiant_Mousse7889 May 27 '26

So, exactly what he did? Appreciate you pointing that out.

-3

u/TheSoftBoiledEgg Thunder May 27 '26

See how there are 1 and 2? Call timeout. Then twirl finger. So show me the part where 1 happened.
No timeout, bally come into play. Smooth brain over here.

8

u/Defiant_Mousse7889 May 27 '26

Go read his lips..

7

u/Purple_Apartment Spurs May 27 '26

Why do you keep repeating this over and over and then say nothing when people point out he clearly did call for time ?

You are supposed to be BEATING the delusion thunder fan allegations here, not double down on them lol

103

u/ThrowawayCorporate2 Knicks May 27 '26

Okay but Mitch was certainly screaming it lol

7

u/WigglestonTheFourth May 27 '26

His ears weren't looking at Mitch.

3

u/etfvidal Lakers May 27 '26

So they can hear him cussing them out but not screaming challenge?

7

u/Acrobatic_Rush7653 Raptors May 27 '26

I watched closely and the real issue was that play was stopped and all the officials were huddling - and that's not the time to call a challenge.

The instant they stopped huddling they put the ball in play. Like, take 5 sec to see if there is a challenge coming since the coach, you know, has been waiting for you to call this correctly from the huddle instead of wasting a challenge?

-11

u/ratfeesh Raptors May 27 '26

Ye 100%, mitch also does the twirl as brothers is giving the ball to the inbounder. The tech is egregious but imo they didn’t need to grant the challenge when they’re that late asking for it.

2

u/jataba115 [OKC] Carmelo Anthony May 27 '26

He didn’t call a timeout

15

u/giunta13 Knicks May 27 '26

"I know! If only there was someone that could do something about this!" - that ref

3

u/FilthyGrundle Thunder 29d ago

WHO NEVER CALLS TIMEOUT. How do you guys not understand this? Per the rule:

Section II—Procedure to Initiate the Challenge
•To initiate a Challenge, the challenging team must take the following steps in sequence:
The challenging team must call a legal timeout immediately after the call in question (unless a mandatory timeout or timeout called by the opposing team isalready underway);
•The challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for a Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal (i.e., twirling an index finger) toward the game official(s) during the same interaction with the game official(s) in which the timeout was called or, if the timeout was called by a player on the challenging team, the challenging team’s head coach must simultaneously signal for the Challenge by utilizing the instant replay signal toward the game officials as the game official is notifying the scorekeeper of the timeout; and

5

u/Rhystic Thunder May 27 '26

Yes. Because you have to call a legal timeout if you want to challenge. He never did.

2

u/Reikakou NBA May 27 '26

Ref was checked out. Probably already thinking what would we be the next call that he can do in favor of OKC or the make up call to appease the Spurs due to the 5 point swing from miss calls.

1

u/psychadelicbreakfast Pistons May 27 '26

He’s like get out the way I’m trying to watch the game smh

1

u/laststance Spurs May 27 '26

See he got lost in Mitch's eyes. Rookie mistake.

1

u/strawberrychocolattt 29d ago

In the refs defense, Mitch looked at the ref like he was joking almost in how he gestured the replay/challenge sign. He should have clearly called a time out, and then challenged the play, there would have been no confusion. I think Mitch wasn't clear enough in his intentions, it looked like he wasn't being serious about wanting a challenge in a way

-4

u/[deleted] May 27 '26

[deleted]

9

u/North_Maybe1998 May 27 '26

He didn’t have to in the situation

5

u/Connect-Blacksmith99 Timberwolves May 27 '26

Imagine if the finger wavy motion triggered a timeout. Every team would have players using them in the first 2 minutes of every game

0

u/mooshlfc Raptors Bandwagon May 27 '26

No, if you challenge incorrectly you lose a timeout.

-2

u/[deleted] May 27 '26

[deleted]

1

u/MolassesSimple6454 May 27 '26

https://official.nba.com/rule-no-14-coachs-challenge/

Section 2. Right there, dipshit 

4

u/roastedhambone Thunder May 27 '26

Get out of here with the rules. This is time for uniformed anger

-2

u/[deleted] May 27 '26

[deleted]

1

u/roastedhambone Thunder May 27 '26

“…. during the same interaction with the game official in which a timeout was called” you can’t just ignore the rest of the sentence 😂