Pistons Stun Celtics Behind Javonte Green’s Electrifying Debut, While Officiating Takes Center Stage Across the NBA
The Boston Celtics came into their recent matchup with the Detroit Pistons as heavy favorites-on paper, it looked like a routine win for one of the league’s top contenders. But as we’ve seen time and time again in the NBA, games aren’t played on paper.
Detroit flipped the script with a 112-105 upset, and the night belonged to Javonte Green.
Making his Pistons debut in his seventh NBA season, Green wasted no time making an impression-and then some. Midway through the game, a slight miscue from the Celtics gave Green an opening.
He pounced, snatching the ball and taking off in transition. Derrick White gave chase, but what happened next lit up social media and the Pistons’ bench alike.
Green elevated and threw down a vicious one-handed poster dunk over White, a moment that instantly went viral. Alex Caruso, clearly impressed, reposted the clip on X with a simple caption: “Omg WOO!”-a nod to Green’s nickname, “Woo.”
It was the kind of play that energizes a team and stuns a crowd. But the celebration was short-lived.
Moments later, Green voiced his frustration to the officials, arguing he’d been fouled. Instead of a whistle in his favor, he was hit with a technical foul-a call that left many scratching their heads.
And that wasn’t the only officiating controversy making waves around the league.
In another game that’s drawing plenty of attention, the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets found themselves at the center of a late-game controversy. During a tense fourth quarter, Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared to trip, and the officials quickly assessed a foul on Rockets rookie Amen Thompson.
But replays told a different story. From multiple angles, it looked like Hardaway may have simply lost his footing. The call stood after review, and the Rockets’ bench erupted in disbelief.
After the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka didn’t hold back.
“Most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time,” Udoka said. “Two [officials] have no business being out there, and the crew chief was acting star-struck.”
That quote alone sent ripples through NBA circles. It’s rare to hear a coach speak that candidly about officiating, but Udoka’s frustration was palpable-and the video evidence didn’t do the referees any favors.
One replay angle, in particular, seemed to show Thompson had minimal contact, if any at all. Yet the foul remained, and the Rockets were left to digest a bitter ending.
According to reports, this was likely the view used by the officials during the video review that upheld the call. And while it may have checked the boxes for a foul in real time, many fans and analysts felt it was a harsh way to decide a tightly contested game.
With the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report expected to weigh in, it wouldn’t be surprising if the league backs the call based on the available angle. But that won’t do much to ease the frustration in Houston.
Between Green’s explosive debut in Detroit and the ongoing debate around officiating decisions, this week in the NBA has been anything but quiet. And as the season rolls on, the spotlight on referees-and the impact of their calls-only grows brighter.