The offensive foul against Thunder star Chris Paul against Oklahoma City’s game 3 win against the Rockets on Saturday will remain as announced, a league spokesman confirmed on Monday.
Paul hit missile guard Ben McLemore below the belt with 1:20 in overtime. The Rockets wanted the game to be reviewed by the officials and left the field angry that the match officials weren’t looking at the replay.
Paul could have been classified as a technical or apparent foul at this point or even in the following days. Both would have counted towards his award in the unlikely event that he had reached his postseason limit for an automatic ban.
The Rockets did not argue that the foul was intentional, but said it should have been reviewed.
“I asked the referee to just check it out,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni after Saturday’s game. “I didn’t have a clear view. But I know my husband was hit with an elbow in a bad place so check it out.
“But it’s not like the bubble… there has to be entertainment somewhere, because what else do we have to do? Let’s go over there, have a look, come back and play basketball. “
Paul said Saturday the contact was unintentional and he was looking for McLemore. On Sunday, McLemore said he had moved on.
“This is the last game,” he said. “I have to move on to the next.”
