Kevin Durant got away with this egregious double dribble

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How does this happen?

This is a double dribble.

Kevin Durant, dribbled the ball, lost it, picked it up with two hands, then dribbled it again late in the Warriors 120-118 win over the Heat on Sunday. No whistle was blown. Play continued despite an obvious violation.

Durant missed the ensuing shot, but DeMarcus Cousins grabbed the rebound and was fouled before making the two free throws that won the game. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was irate after the game.

“We had a three-point lead with a chance to get a stop and we actually did not play it well on Durant’s handoff and an MVP comes off and he’s wide open for a 3 and ties it up. But then on the very next possession, it’s a double-dribble. Everybody can see it,” he said, according to AP’s Tim Reynolds. “Those are tough calls to make but everybody saw it. It’s right there in front of everybody. That should be a violation and you can’t miss those calls.”

This isn’t the first time officials missed an obvious one on Durant. He saved a Warriors’ possession chasing after a loose ball with both feet out of bounds.

This has been a season where officiating — both good and bad — has been scrutinized by players, fans and media alike. Referees are human and miss calls; it’s understandable.

But a double dribble is a call made in backyards, parks, video games and school gyms. It’s one of the oldest calls in the game; it even has a nickname.

This is a call the officiating crews have to make.