The Indiana Pacers’ remarkable comeback in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers was fueled by two glaringly missed lane violations, as acknowledged by the NBA on Wednesday.

In its Last Two Minute report for the game, the league pinpointed two crucial plays in the final minute that should have resulted in jump balls at midcourt instead of the plays that transpired, labeling them as incorrect non-calls.

The first instance occurred when multiple lane violations were committed during a free throw by Pacers forward Pascal Siakam with 48 seconds remaining. One of the players who jumped early was Aaron Nesmith, who secured the rebound and executed a putback dunk to reduce Cleveland’s lead to five.

The league stated that Nesmith’s dunk should not have counted, as there were clear lane violations. This play also saw Cavaliers’ star Donovan Mitchell briefly sidelined due to injury, although he later returned to finish with an impressive 48-point performance.

Following this incident, a series of events unfolded, ultimately culminating in a game-winning 3-pointer by Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton with 1.1 seconds left, propelling Indiana to a 2-0 series lead.

The NBA also highlighted a second set of missed lane violations before Haliburton’s game-winning shot, noting that multiple players had jumped early. Additionally, Haliburton himself had crossed the free-throw line before the ball hit the rim.

The league emphasized that these plays should have been stopped, and jump balls should have been initiated at midcourt, rather than allowing Haliburton to secure the rebound and deliver the winning shot.

While lane violation rules are clearly defined in the NBA rulebook, they are seldom enforced in crucial game moments, especially during playoff scenarios. Despite fans’ scrutiny of officials for missing such violations, the Cavaliers did not raise any complaints post-game, and even head coach Kenny Atkinson did not express discontent with the officiating.

It is evident that the modern game allows for some leniency regarding lane violations, but the NBA could benefit from increased vigilance to prevent situations like the one observed in this game.

The NBA also highlighted another missed call just before Haliburton’s shot, indicating that Mitchell should have been penalized for defensive 3 seconds with 15 seconds remaining.

Undoubtedly, staging a seven-point comeback in 48 seconds is no ordinary feat. The Pacers have been on an incredible postseason run, leaving the Cavaliers with the daunting task of winning four out of five games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.