Westbrook got away with travel, NBA's VP of officiating says

Another Oklahoma City Thunder playoff game, another controversial non-call in the dying seconds. This time, though, there's no need to wait for the last-two-minute report for official confirmation.

Joe Borgia, the NBA's senior vice president of replay and referee operations, said after the game that Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook should've been whistled for traveling in Monday's Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors, when he dragged his pivot foot before calling a timeout with 17 seconds remaining in regulation.

"The officials, no one could get in a good position to see him drag that pivot foot," Borgia told NBA TV, as quoted by ESPN's Tim McMahon. "It's an unfortunate miss, but so much going on in the play, the speed of it, and officiating is about getting angles and sometimes you just can't get them, and they did not get a great angle on that play."

The admission confirms what most who saw the play - including Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who reacted incredulously after being on the wrong end of the non-call - already knew.

"I thought he walked," Kerr said postgame.