In a tense moment during the game, lead referee Zach Zarba made a critical call that kept Ausar Thompson on the court. The pivotal play occurred when Thompson's left arm made contact with Sam Merrill's head and neck area, prompting an immediate review.

Zarba explained to a pool reporter after the game that he assessed a flagrant foul penalty 1, allowing Thompson to continue playing. "There was follow-through on the contact," Zarba noted, describing the movement that led to the call.

Thompson, meanwhile, saw the situation differently. "I just felt like it was a moving screen on Merrill," he said. "I was just hoping that whatever the referees decided, I was going to be able to keep playing."

The referee's decision came down to a technical distinction. According to Zarba, the league uses three criteria for ejections on flagrant fouls: windup, impact, and follow-through. While Thompson's play showed clear impact and follow-through, the missing element proved crucial. "On this particular play, there was impact and follow-through, but there was no windup," Zarba explained. "It was unnecessary contact but also not excessive, so that's why it wasn't upgraded to a flagrant 2."

This kind of split-second officiating decision highlights the fine line between a hard foul and an ejection in today's NBA, where player safety and competitive balance must constantly be weighed.