NBA Says Dahntay Jones Fouled Kobe Bryant Prior to Ankle Sprain

The League won’t take action against Dahntay Jones, but they did tsk-tsk the refs for missing the call on the defensive play against Kobe Bryant. The NBA says he did not give Kobe a chance to land after shooting his jumper, and that Jones should’ve been whistled for a foul. (Bryant’s status for Friday night’s game in Indiana remains very much up in the air — he tweeted a photo of his swollen ankle, and says he’s done whining about Dahntay.) Here’s the statement from the NBA: “With 4.9 seconds remaining in the Atlanta Hawks’ 96-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 13, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant attempted a jump shot over the Hawks’ Dahntay Jones. After review at the league office, video replay confirmed that referees missed a foul call on Jones as he challenged Bryant’s shot and did not give him the opportunity to land cleanly back on the floor. Bryant should have been granted two free throws.”