NBA referee Courtney Kirkland was in the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey on May 29, 2022, when he was called upon to make a crucial call during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
The call went against the Heat, and on Monday night, Kirkland will return to South Beach for Game 4 of the Celtics-Heat first-round playoff series. Boston leads the best-of-seven set 2-1.
Courtney Kirkland, who as the replay official in Secaucus said Max Strus was out of bounds in Game 7 two years ago, part of the crew here tonight. https://t.co/Fe9Wjy3ARX
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 29, 2024
Kirkland's call nearly two years ago didn't singlehandedly cost Miami a victory, but it was a huge turning point in the contest, which the Celtics ended up winning 100-96.
During the third quarter, former Heat small forward Max Strus connected on a three-pointer from the corner, only to have it overturned later. After a review, Kirkland concluded that Strus' heel was on the out of bounds line.
Maybe they have a different angle, but can you conclusively say Strus’ heel hits the line? Secaucus did, and three points came off the board. pic.twitter.com/3UZ9dKhHbN
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 30, 2022
Strus (now playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers) addressed the call two days later, saying he didn't know "how that was called" after he saw the video, adding "they say they have that rule to take that rule out of the game and the human error makes an error on the video."
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Kirkland get a rude welcoming on Monday night for Game 4, especially from Heat fans who hold grudges.
Kirkland is in his 24th season as an NBA official, so should be plenty used to harsh treatment from fans.
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