Transcript: NBA Referee Tom Washington Comments to Pool Reporter after Lakers – Thunder Game

January 17, 2019
Pool Reporter Transcript
Crew Chief Tom Washington

Postgame – Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City, January 17, 2019

NBA Crew Chief Tom Washington met with pool reporter Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press after the game between the Lakers and the Thunder tonight. Here is a transcript of that interview.

Q: Why was it called a shooting foul on Lonzo Ball with 2.9 seconds in regulation on the foul on Russell Westbrook?
A: “The official called the foul because at the time he thought Russell had started his shooting motion and he was clearly behind the three-point line and there was illegal contact by Ball.”

Q: Why was that play not reviewed?
A: “There is not a trigger to review whether or not there is a foul prior to or on the shot. The trigger would be whether it is a three-point shot or not. And upon being able to see the review of the play, we realized that the illegal contact actually happened prior to his upward motion, so it should have been a side-out.”