Watch any NBA action for an extended period, and the focus eventually turns to officiating. NBA officials are held to the highest standards, even though some errors are expected. The hope is that any mistakes won’t affect the outcome of games. Recently, the league office addressed a scoring error in an NBA Cup game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards.
NBA Officials Correct Controversial Free-Throw Call During Cavaliers-Wizards Game
The NBA’s official office issued a statement regarding an error in Thursday’s NBA Cup game between the Cavaliers and Wizards. With 8:15 remaining in the second quarter at Capital One Arena, Washington’s Tre Johnson made his first free throw, which was incorrectly recorded as a miss when he had actually made both.
“The game statistics have been corrected and the final score of the game is Cleveland 148, Washington 115,” the statement read.
Tre Johnson makes both FTs at the 8:15 mark. Score doesn’t move after the first one and he still hasn’t got credit for making both @nbastats pic.twitter.com/qpRBfL3rHB
— Jesse (@d0wnsideofme) November 8, 2025
With the correction, Johnson finished with 19 points. The Wizards had selected Johnson with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft. He is averaging 12.3 points per game in his rookie season while shooting 39.6% from 3.
CJ McCollum led the Wizards in the loss with 25 points and six 3-pointers, while sophomore Alex Sarr added 20 points, and Corey Kispert contributed 16. Washington shot 78.3% from the free-throw line, making 24 of 31 attempts, and converted 15 of 41 three-point attempts.
The loss dropped the rebuilding Wizards to 1-8 overall and 0-1 in NBA Cup play. The Cavaliers improved to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in NBA Cup competition.
Though the scoring error may seem minor given the blowout margin, it represents the latest officiating issue the league must address. Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown recently expressed frustration with referees late in Boston’s 105-103 home loss to the Utah Jazz.
Brown faced a possible fine after his comments, particularly after the officiating crew initially claimed they hadn’t missed a call when Brown appeared to be tripped by Jazz guard Keyonte George in a crucial moment of the game. However, the NBA later confirmed it was a missed call in the game’s two-minute report, and Brown avoided punishment.
Ultimately, players, coaches, and fans want accountability when officials make mistakes. While the recent correction of a missed free throw in a blowout NBA Cup game may not spark outrage, it underscores a broader issue worth monitoring as the season continues.
The Wizards had a quick turnaround, facing the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, followed by a two-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets.
