Several NBA Stars Are Fuming as “Absolute Horrible” Incident With Cooper Flagg Sparks Controversy at Final Four Game

All the bottom teams in the NBA are in draft limbo until May 12 rolls around. That’s when the lottery goes down—and depending on how those ping-pong balls bounce, they could either hit the jackpot or walk away empty-handed. Whoever lands the No. 1 pick, things would get real exciting for them real fast. Why? Two words: Cooper Flagg. The Duke forward is 6’9” with freakish instincts, and he’s already looking like a franchise guy before his college career’s even over.

Cooper Flagg and Duke already went head-to-head with Houston in Saturday’s second Final Four matchup, and man, it was intense. Duke fell short to Houston, but Flagg gave everything he had in that 70–67 nail-biter. Every possession felt like a “this kid’s got it” moment.

And it all came down to the last moment. Duke was up 67–66 with just 19 seconds left when Tyrese Proctor headed to the line. All he needed was one free throw to stretch the lead. But he bricked it. Then came the chaos.

As everyone scrambled for the rebound, Cooper Flagg leaped up behind Houston’s J’Wan Roberts—and bam, whistle. The refs called Flagg for a foul. If you blinked, you probably missed the contact. Or didn’t see any at all. That’s exactly what the internet thought, too.

Fans weren’t just mad—they were stunned. And Flagg? His expression after the call was the cherry on top. That face of disbelief spread across X faster than a Drake meme after a Raptors loss, with even NBA stars joining in.

Cooper Flagg amasses support from his future teammates and rivals

Austin Reaves didn’t hold back after that wild late-game foul call on Cooper Flagg. Right after the dust settled, the Lakers guard jumped on X and dropped a line that perfectly captured the mood: “I’m f—ing hot, don’t text me or call me.” And honestly? That felt like all of us watching.

The timing, the stakes, the barely-there contact—everything about that call felt like a punch to the gut for Duke fans. It’s not every day you see an NBA player live-reacting like that in real-time.

Tyrese Haliburton jumped into the Final Four controversy with a blunt take on the late-game foul involving Cooper Flagg. Reacting on social media, the Pacers star tweeted, “That over the back call w 20 seconds left was trash tho,” backing the growing frustration around the officiating. The foul, which came as Duke trailed Houston by one in the final seconds, sent fans—and now NBA players—into an uproar over what many saw as a game-altering whistle.

Paolo Banchero, who proudly reps Duke as an alum, couldn’t hide his heartbreak after the Blue Devils’ crushing Final Four loss. Shortly after the controversial finish, the Orlando Magic star tweeted, “dawg that hurts 💔”—a raw reaction that instantly struck a chord with fellow Duke fans.

Even Stephen A. Smith was one of the many voices outraged after the controversial whistle on Cooper Flagg in the closing seconds of Duke vs. Houston. Smith didn’t sugarcoat it. “That was an absolute horrible foul call vs Cooper Flagg. No way. No way.” It wasn’t just criticism—it was disbelief. And when someone like Stephen A., who’s seen just about everything in hoops, says that with conviction, it hits different.

Precious Achiuwa kept it short but spoke volumes with his reaction to the Houston-Duke thriller: “What a game.”. Houston pulled off one of the wildest comebacks of the tournament, clawing back from a 14-point hole with just eight minutes left. The Cougars stunned Duke 67-64 in San Antonio, booking their ticket to the program’s third national title game. It wasn’t just a win—it was a gutsy, momentum-shifting performance that left fans, former players, and NBA stars buzzing.

Saturday night’s Final Four clash between Duke and Houston wasn’t just a game—it was a full-blown rollercoaster. From Cooper Flagg’s clutch moments to a last-minute foul call that sparked outrage across social media, the matchup delivered on every level. Whether you were cheering in disbelief or shaking your head in frustration, one thing’s for sure—this one’s going to be remembered for a long time. And as the dust settles, everyone’s still talking.

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