NBA says no foul on the Pacers-Mavericks final play Rick Carlisle called ‘clearly a foul,’ but rules a late call on Aaron Nesmith was wrong

The NBA says the referees were right not to call a foul on the last play of Dallas’ 125-122 win over Indiana on Monday, Nov. 9, the play Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called “clearly a foul” and “a football-caliber collision.” The league’s Last Two Minute report, posted on Tuesday night, rates the contact between Caleb Martin and Pascal Siakam a correct non-call.

The same report found one mistake in the final two minutes, and it went in the Mavericks’ favor: the foul called on Aaron Nesmith with 18 seconds left, which sent Kyrie Irving to the line for two free throws, should not have been called. The report does not change the result. Dallas is 7-4 and has won three straight, and Indiana is 3-8.

The last play

Indiana trailed 125-122 with four seconds left when Siakam fouled P.J. Washington on purpose to stop the clock. Washington missed both free throws, Obi Toppin rebounded the second miss, and the Pacers called timeout to advance the ball, inbounding from the sideline with 3.7 seconds left. Andrew Nembhard lobbed the pass toward Siakam near the opposite elbow. Martin, who had just checked in for Irving, broke on the pass, got a hand on it and crashed into Siakam, and both players went to the floor as the ball rolled away and time ran out.

MAVS COME UP WITH A STEAL TO WIN A THRILLER!

FLAGG: 43 PTS
KYRIE: 35 PTS

DALLAS HAS WON 3 STRAIGHT GAMES 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7296w9scU5

— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2026

The report sees it the other way from Carlisle. “Martin (DAL) deflects the ball away from Siakam (IND). The ensuing contact that occurs after the deflection is considered incidental,” it says. Because Martin touched the ball first, the collision that followed is not a foul under the league’s standard, and play was right to continue.

What Carlisle said

Carlisle opened his postgame news conference by asking whether anyone was going to ask about the last play, then answered his own question. “It’s a football-caliber collision, and it’s clearly a foul,” he said. “We would have been shooting two free throws with three and a half seconds left. I’m at a loss for what was being looked at. Then you ask, and the response is just shocking.”

“Our team fought their hearts out in this game. They deserved an opportunity to win the game,” Carlisle said. “That whistle needs to blow. It almost looks like targeting a defenseless player in a football game. I’m shocked.”

He went after referee J.D. DeRosa at the final horn but would not say what he was told. “I’m not going to get into it. I’m probably already whatever,” he said, adding that Dallas “may have been intentionally fouling. It looked like that may have been a possibility. I don’t know for sure.” Siakam also said he believed he was fouled. Even with a foul, Indiana would have had two free throws while down three, not a chance at a tying three.

The NBA can fine coaches for public criticism of officiating, and Carlisle’s “I’m probably already whatever” suggested he expected it. As of early Wednesday, Cairo time, the league had not announced any discipline.

The one error: Nesmith’s foul on Irving

Nesmith’s 24-foot three with 20.6 seconds left cut Dallas’ lead to 123-122. With less time left than a full shot clock, the Mavericks could run out most of the clock on their next possession, so a quick foul was one of the few ways for Indiana to get the ball back. Nesmith was called for a personal foul on Irving with 18 seconds left, and Irving made both free throws for a 125-122 lead.

The league says that call was wrong. “Nesmith (IND) grasps, and immediately releases, Irving’s (DAL) jersey and the contact is marginal,” the report says, rating it an incorrect call. Two seconds earlier, during the inbound, Quenton Jackson also grabbed Irving’s jersey, and the report rates that play a correct non-call. Nesmith then missed a 24-foot pull-up with 6.5 seconds left, and Washington rebounded before Siakam’s foul.

The rest of the report

The report reviewed 17 plays from the last 1:53. Besides the Nesmith foul, every call and non-call it rated was judged correct. That includes a whistle against Dallas: Cooper Flagg, who scored a season-high 43, was rightly called for a shooting foul when he made contact with Nesmith’s hand after a three-point attempt with 1:14.5 left, and Nesmith made all three free throws. Nembhard was also rightly called for moving into Naji Marshall’s path on a shot with 38.7 seconds left.

The report also confirms the coach’s challenge that went Indiana’s way with 1:52.9 left. Siakam had been called for a foul on Flagg, but Carlisle challenged and the call was overturned on replay: “Siakam (IND) deflects the ball away from Flagg (DAL). The ensuing contact that occurs after the deflection is considered incidental.” The wording is nearly the same as the explanation for the final play, this time in Indiana’s favor. Siakam was credited with a steal, and the Pacers kept their timeout.

Time left	Play	League ruling	Favored
1:52.9	Siakam on Flagg, foul overturned by Pacers challenge	Correct (contact after deflection is incidental)	—
1:14.5	Flagg shooting foul on Nesmith (3 free throws)	Correct call	—
0:38.7	Nembhard shooting foul on Marshall	Correct call	—
0:18.0	Nesmith personal foul on Irving (2 free throws)	Incorrect call	Mavericks
0:04.0	Siakam take foul on Washington	Correct call	—
0:03.8	Martin’s contact with Siakam after deflecting the inbound pass	Correct non-call	—

Monday’s game was the only one from that night that qualified for a report. The league reviews the last two minutes of games that are within three points at any point in that stretch, plus overtime, and it only marks a play wrong when the video is clear. Reports cannot change a result.

A familiar complaint

Indiana has now lost four of its last five, and Monday’s loss came after the Pacers led by 13 in the first half, as we traced in our step-by-step look at the Dallas comeback. The report is the latest in a run of close finishes the league has reviewed this season, after it said the Cavaliers got two late calls wrong in their overtime win over Minnesota. Our roundup of league discipline covers the flopping fines and replay changes so far.

The Pacers host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. ET, which is 2 a.m. Thursday in Cairo. The Mavericks visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. ET, 3 a.m. Friday in Cairo. Follow every league-wide story on our Around the league page.