The NBA’s Last Two Minute (L2M) report confirmed that no foul occurred during the final seconds of the New York Knicks’ 116–107 victory over the Sacramento Kings on November 2, 2024. Despite viral social media images suggesting contact between Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and Knicks forward OG Anunoby, the league’s official review determined the defensive play was legal.
Why the NBA ruled the play a clean block
The league’s official L2M report for the November 2 contest explicitly reviewed the play in question, which occurred with 1:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Officials determined that OG Anunoby maintained legal defensive position and successfully made contact with the ball, not the shooter.
According to the official NBA L2M log, the officials on the floor correctly identified the play as a clean block. The report states that Anunoby’s arm contact with De’Aaron Fox was “incidental” and occurred only after Anunoby had already made clean contact with the basketball. Because the primary action was a successful defensive stop, no foul was warranted under NBA rules.
How social media fueled the controversy
The confusion surrounding the play stemmed from high-resolution, freeze-frame photography circulated on platforms like X (formerly Twitter). These images showed Anunoby’s arm near Fox’s body, leading many fans to argue that the physical contact should have resulted in a whistle.
While the viral photos provided a static perspective of the moment, they lacked the context of the game’s speed and the specific criteria used by referees. NBA officials are trained to evaluate the “principle of verticality” and the timing of contact relative to the ball. The L2M report serves as the final authority on these calls, designed specifically to address fan concerns regarding the accuracy of officiating in the closing stages of close games.
What the L2M report tells us about officiating
The L2M report is a transparency initiative launched by the NBA to provide accountability for games decided by five points or fewer. It serves as a post-game audit where the league reviews every call and non-call during the final 120 seconds of regulation and all overtime periods.
In this instance, the report functioned as a direct rebuttal to the online discourse. By confirming the “no-call” was accurate, the league reinforced the standard that incidental contact—contact that does not impede a player’s ability to move or shoot—is a standard part of NBA defense.
Key details from the game
- Final Score: New York Knicks 116, Sacramento Kings 107.
- Date of Occurrence: November 2, 2024.
- Report Status: The L2M report identified zero incorrect calls or missed violations during the final two minutes of the game.
This ruling settles the debate surrounding the sequence, confirming that the officiating crew’s real-time assessment aligned with the league’s post-game review standards. For the Kings, the result stands as a loss, while the league maintains that the integrity of the closing defensive stop was upheld.