duncan228
04-13-2009, 04:40 PM
The headline for this piece on the front page:
NBA admits Finley's shot too late
Finley shot gives ref sleepless night (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/04/finley-shot-giv.html)
By Mike Monroe
The NBA officially acknowledged Monday that Michael Finley's game-winning 3-point shot in the Spurs' 95-92 victory over the Kings on Sunday night should not have counted.
TV replays clearly showed that the ball was still in Finley's hands when the 24-second shot clock expired at ARCO Arena. However, referee Danny Crawford, standing behind Finley as he shot, ruled that the shot counted. Since 1.3 seconds remained on the game clock after Finley's shot went in, the referees were not permitted to review the play on a courtside TV monitor.
Replay can only be used to correct timing errors when the game clock reaches zero at the end of any quarter.
Ron Johnson, the NBA's vice-president of referee operations, said Crawford acknowledged the error on Monday.
"Yes, the referees did acknowledge in the post-game review that, in fact, they had missed a call," he said. "I can tell you the crew chief laid awake all night concerned about it, and that's just what they do."
Crawford, regarded as one of the NBA's best refs, was the crew chief.
The NBA's Board of Governors will be asked to consider amending the rules governing the use of replay when it meets on Thursday and Friday. NBA Commissioner David Stern said he did not know that the Board would want to apply a rules change that wold be in effect for this season's playoffs, which begin this weekend. However, he assured the issue would get a full venting before next season.
"It's always up to the Board to decide what they want to do," Stern said. "In the face of perhaps them doing nothing, it will be on the agenda, full-bore, fully briefed, for the October meetings prior to the 2009-10 season."
NBA admits Finley's shot too late
Finley shot gives ref sleepless night (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/04/finley-shot-giv.html)
By Mike Monroe
The NBA officially acknowledged Monday that Michael Finley's game-winning 3-point shot in the Spurs' 95-92 victory over the Kings on Sunday night should not have counted.
TV replays clearly showed that the ball was still in Finley's hands when the 24-second shot clock expired at ARCO Arena. However, referee Danny Crawford, standing behind Finley as he shot, ruled that the shot counted. Since 1.3 seconds remained on the game clock after Finley's shot went in, the referees were not permitted to review the play on a courtside TV monitor.
Replay can only be used to correct timing errors when the game clock reaches zero at the end of any quarter.
Ron Johnson, the NBA's vice-president of referee operations, said Crawford acknowledged the error on Monday.
"Yes, the referees did acknowledge in the post-game review that, in fact, they had missed a call," he said. "I can tell you the crew chief laid awake all night concerned about it, and that's just what they do."
Crawford, regarded as one of the NBA's best refs, was the crew chief.
The NBA's Board of Governors will be asked to consider amending the rules governing the use of replay when it meets on Thursday and Friday. NBA Commissioner David Stern said he did not know that the Board would want to apply a rules change that wold be in effect for this season's playoffs, which begin this weekend. However, he assured the issue would get a full venting before next season.
"It's always up to the Board to decide what they want to do," Stern said. "In the face of perhaps them doing nothing, it will be on the agenda, full-bore, fully briefed, for the October meetings prior to the 2009-10 season."