Let’s be clear: The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t deserve to leave with a victory over the Denver Nuggets Wednesday evening.
However, Zion Williamson should have been awarded two free throws after Nikola Jokic clearly hit him across the arm with 2.2 seconds left in a two-point contest.
Stan Van Gundy said to postgame media afterwards that the referees told him it was a clean block. Even though the head coach had used a challenge earlier in the game, it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had it still sitting in his back pocket — a non-call cannot be challenged according to the rules.