Russell Westbrook takes a physical approach to every game he plays, which often results in a lot of contact on the way to the rim and foul calls rightfully going his way.
This was not one of those times.
Refs have been awful tonight. Russell Westbrook slips without getting touched. Refs call foul on Golden State Warriors pic.twitter.com/fMHuRx1z1B
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) February 7, 2018
With the Thunder already ahead by double digits against the best team in the league Tuesday, the officials decided to give OKC a break and call a foul on KD for "tripping" Westbrook on his drive to the basket.
MORE: NBA stars, personalities react on Twitter to Kristaps Porzingis' ACL tear
It's not like official Lauren Holtkamp can feign ignorance or claim her sight was obstructed. She had a pretty good view of the play.
Bruh THE REF IS RIGHT THERE LOOKING at Russ slip and still calls the foul on the Warriors SMH pic.twitter.com/h84efK5t3T
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) February 7, 2018
Referees often claim that a game like basketball moves so fast that it's nearly impossible to call it perfectly. But this one seemed too obvious to mess up.
UPDATE: Durant chose not to be too critical of Holtkamp after the game.
"She just probably missed it, just like we missed assignments (and) a bunch of layups and free throws," he told reporters (per Mark Medina of the Mercury News).
"It was just a bad play, probably a bad misjudgment on her end," he added.
UPDATE 2: Westbrook, of course, knows he caught a break. Per Logan Murdock of the Mercury News:
"I just tripped. It was a missed a call. It happens throughout the league, a lot of missed calls that go on. Happens."