POOL REPORT ON A FOUL CALLED ON NEW ORLEANS’ JAXSON HAYES WITH 0.2 SECONDS REMAINING IN REGULATION AND ON UTAH’S RUDY GOBERT AT THE 1:19 MARK OF OVERTIME

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY ROD WALKER (THE TIMES-PICAYUNE | THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE) WITH CREW CHIEF MARK AYOTTE FOLLOWING TONIGHT’S UTAH JAZZ AT NEW ORLEANS PELICANS GAME

JANUARY 16, 2020

QUESTION: What did you see on the call at the end of regulation? I guess the call against Jaxson Hayes?

Ayotte: “We had defender, (Jaxson) Hayes, holding the arm of Rudy Gobert on the inbound pass.”

QUESTION: What did you see when you went to the replay, and reviewed that play?

Ayotte: “Well the trigger was for an off-ball timing play, so we had to confirm whether the ball had been released on the throw in or not, when the foul occurred. And replay confirmed that he was holding, and the ball clearly had been released.”

QUESTION: Why was Rudy Gobert’s sixth foul, with 1:19 left in overtime upheld after review?

Ayotte: “Well, we had a coach’s challenge by Utah; and when that occurs, we review it and we need clear and conclusive evidence to overturn the foul call. We did not see clear and conclusive evidence to overturn the play.”