Warriors guard Jordan Poole has fans declaring him Oscar-worthy after his flop on Marcus Smart in Monday’s 104-94 Game 5 win against the Celtics.
Golden State, now leading 3-2 in the series, was up 82-74 in the fourth quarter as Poole guarded Smart during an inbounds play.
When Smart took a pass from Jayson Tatum, he appeared to push off Poole with his left arm before raising his elbow and swinging it back down, appearing to swipe at or near Poole’s face.
Poole then jerked his head back and grabbed his face while stumbling backwards on the court, despite a replay appearing to show he was barely touched, if at all. Boston big man Al Horford was seen trying to calm down Smart in the heat of the moment.
Poole made a jumper on the ensuing possession to put the Warriors up by 11.
Fans and some reporters were furious after the call, and argued replay footage showed that Smart never made contact with Poole’s face.
Poole scored 14 points in 14 minutes of play, and hit a buzzer-beater from deep to end the third quarter.
Smart, meanwhile, finished with 20 points, three rebounds and two assists.
The Warriors can clinch their fourth title in eight years with a win in Game 6 in Boston on Thursday night. If the Celtics come up victorious, the series will return to the Bay Area for a winner-takes-all Game 7.