NBA referees have had better weeks.
On Thursday, the league admitted that Blake Griffin should not have been given a technical foul – his second of the game, resulting in an ejection – in the Christmas matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors.
On Tuesday, the league announced that Dallas forward Shawn Marion should have been called for a foul on his “blocked shot” on Minnesota’s Kevin Love at the end of Monday’s 100-98 win by the Mavericks.
“Through postgame video review, we have determined that Minnesota’s Kevin Love was fouled on the right arm by Dallas’ Shawn Marion while attempting a two-point field goal,” NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said in a statement. “Love should have been awarded two free throws with one second left on the clock.”
Here’s the play. Referees Ed Malloy on the baseline and David Guthrie above the play had the best angles.
After the game, Wolves coach Rick Adelman said, “He got fouled. I wonder what that would have been if (Dirk) Nowitzki, LeBron James, all the top players in the league — a guy reaches on a last-second shot like that, instead of challenging it. Maybe they don’t understand that Kevin is one of the top five players in this league. You make that call. But they didn’t.”
Certainly fine-worthy material. Unless, of course, you’re right, as the NBA said Adelman was. 
Love was a bit softer but maintained he was fouled.
“I’m the type of person that if you see a foul, an obvious foul, you call it,” he said. “And I thought that was pretty, pretty obvious. … You look at the replay and it was obvious he got arm.”
The Mavericks (18-13) and Wolves (15-16) are currently eighth and ninth, respectively, in the Western Conference standings. There’s a lot of season left, but the non-call created a two-game swing in the loss column, which is something possibly worth revisiting if the teams are still jockeying in April.