Steve Javie or NBA game officials: Who was right during Game 1 of NBA Finals?

ABC officiating expert Steve Javie was summoned to make a crucial call during the May 31 telecast of the NBA Finals and he whiffed on it.

Or did he?

With 36 seconds remaining in regulation and the Warriors down 104-102, Golden State forward Kevin Durant drove the lane where he rammed into Cleveland’s LeBron James on his way to the basket.

Initially, the referees called Durant for a charge, but the play went under lengthy review. That’s when the ABC crew called upon Javie, a retired NBA official, to dissect the play.

Said Javie, who officiated in the NBA from 1986 through 2011, “I do believe James was there prior to the upward motion of the shot.”

So it was a charge, right? No. The call on the floor was reversed to a block and Durant sank two free throws to tie the game.

It’s a call that undoubtedly will be argued over for days — especially in Cleveland — and one that left ABC analyst Mark Jackson perplexed.

“We have a great official reviewing the play and he tells us he sees it one way,” Jackson said, “and then the officials in the game see it totally differently.”

Not surprisingly, the decision provoked plenty of reaction on social media.

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