NBA reveals Cavs benefited from two missed calls late in win over Timberwolves

On October 24, 2026, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 127-125, but they may have received some assistance from the referees in the process. According to the NBA's Last Two Minute Report, the Cavs were aided by two missed calls late in the game.

The first missed call came at the end of regulation. The league claims that Anthony Edwards should have been awarded free throws following a drive to the basket in the final seconds of the game. The report states, " [James] Harden initiates contact with Edwards' arm, which affects his driving shot attempt ." While it's difficult to definitively see a foul in this angle, Edwards does visibly react in frustration when the foul is not called.

If this call had been made, the Cavs would likely have needed to make a basket to either tie or win the game with just 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation.

The second missed call occurred at another crucial moment. LaMelo Ball was charged with a foul on a late tie-up with Donovan Mitchell at the end of regulation. The report states, " Mitchell dribbles the ball off Ball's (MIN) foot, which causes Mitchell to lose control of the ball. The ensuing contact that occurs after the ball is deflected is deemed incidental ."

This missed call appears to be more obvious than the first one. In this instance, it seems that Mitchell simply dribbles into Ball's foot and loses possession. Any contact that occurred was after Mitchell had already lost control of the ball. If this whistle had not blown, the play could have continued without interruption, potentially changing the outcome of the game. Despite these two missed calls, the Cavaliers still earned a hard-fought victory on Monday night.