San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knows Kawhi Leonard was supposed to be whistled for mugging Russell Westbrook with the Oklahoma City Thunder leading by one point with less than nine seconds left in Game 5 Tuesday night.
He's not going to complain about it, though.
"He fouled him. It was pretty obvious he fouled him," Popovich told reporters after the 95-91 Thunder win that puts the Spurs on the brink of elimination. "But every call doesn't get called. That's the way the game is."
The Spurs' strategy was to put Westbrook at the line as they trailed by a single point, with a chance for a game-tying trey even if he hit them both. Instead, the superstar point guard got an and-1 basket when he drew contact at the rim from LaMarcus Aldridge, putting the game out of reach.
Popovich said he was more off-put by the Spurs' previous possession, which ended when Tony Parker missed a 20-foot jumper that would have given San Antonio a one-point lead.
"I was more concerned with the play before that," the coach said. "Sometimes you get a call, sometimes you don't."
Game 6 goes Thursday back in Oklahoma City.
