I don't think Barcelo thought he was going to draw a foul. I think he thought he was trying to make them burn more time before they got a good shot - and the foul was just "lucky" in the sense that the offensive player pushed him while he was playing defense.

That doesn't change the idea the announcers were expressing - which wasn't that they should let Utah score because they feel bad for Utah. It was that they should just let Utah score rather than letting them stop the clock, take free throws, and give them time to set their defense.