The no-call on Jarrett Allen tripping Ausar Thompson wasn't that egregious

Did Jarrett Allen trip Ausar Thompson at the end of Wednesday night's Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons ? I'm inclined to side with veteran referee Tony Brothers on this one, who explained after the game why there was no call on the play which could've sent Thompson to the free throw line to shoot game-winning free throws at the end of regulation. "During live play, both players were going for the ball and there was incidental contact with the legs with no player having possession of the ball," Brothers explained in the pool report .

And while incidental contact can certainly be whistled for a foul, especially in the case of a trip, that works both ways. Allen's feet might have accidentally clipped Thompson, but only after Thompson not-so-accidentally knocked Allen off balance. Both were going for the ball.

Both initiated contact. Time expired. Play on.

First off… Ausar Thompson’s play on Donovan Mitchell to strip the ball at the end of regulation was not a foul. Clearly all ball. HOWEVER… before Allen trips Thompson, Thompson clearly fouls Allen when he hits Allen’s arm and pushes it out of the way.