LakeShow
12-22-2007, 06:28 PM
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-shaq122007,0,3012555.story
Heat questions O'Neal ejection; scoring snafu in Atlanta could lead to do-over
By Ira Winderman | Sun-Sentinel.com
2:15 PM EST, December 20, 2007
The Heat was working Thursday on a formal protest to be submitted to the league regarding the scorekeeping in Wednesday's 117-111 overtime loss in Atlanta.
With 51.9 seconds to play and the Heat trailing 112-111, Heat center Shaquille O'Neal was determined by the scoring crew at Philips Arena to have been disqualified, by virtue of his sixth foul.
However, according to an initial scoring transcript released by the Hawks-employed scoring staff, as well as a preliminary box score issued by the Hawks, O'Neal was listed as having only five fouls.
In dispute is a foul called on the Heat with 3:24 to play in the fourth quarter.
In the initial transcript released by the Hawks' scoring staff, the foul was assessed to power forward Udonis Haslem, and reflected as such in the initial final box score issued by the team.
Video of the play in question reflects a foul on Haslem.
However, more than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game, a revised scoring transcript was issued assessing the foul to O'Neal.
According to the NBA Constitution and Bylaws, a team has 48 hours from the conclusion of a game to forward grounds for protest to Commissioner David Stern, with a $10,000 payment that is forfeited if the protest is rejected.
Over the past two seasons, the league has rejected two such protests over out-of-town scoring.
Earlier this season, the Mavericks protested that a second-quarter shot by Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy was incorrectly scored as a 3-pointer, even though a signal for a two-point basket clearly was offered.
Stern rejected that claim by stating the error by the Indiana scoring crew "did not have such a clear impact on the outcome of the game."
The Mavericks also were cited for failing to immediately question the error.
"Although NBA rules would have allowed the game officials to correct the scoring error at any time prior to the end of the game," Stern's statement said, "it was not brought to their attention until after the game."
The Heat did not appear to address O'Neal's disqualification until receiving the initial postgame box score that listed O'Neal with only five fouls.
The league could make a statement by upholding such a protest, with the Hawks essentially a repeat offender.
Just over a year ago, the Atlanta scoring team failed to record two points scored on a fourth-quarter layup by Toronto guard T.J. Ford in what turned into a 97-95 loss for the Raptors.
The Heat's remaining trip to Atlanta is March 8.
More articles
To subscribe, click here.
Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Heat questions O'Neal ejection; scoring snafu in Atlanta could lead to do-over
By Ira Winderman | Sun-Sentinel.com
2:15 PM EST, December 20, 2007
The Heat was working Thursday on a formal protest to be submitted to the league regarding the scorekeeping in Wednesday's 117-111 overtime loss in Atlanta.
With 51.9 seconds to play and the Heat trailing 112-111, Heat center Shaquille O'Neal was determined by the scoring crew at Philips Arena to have been disqualified, by virtue of his sixth foul.
However, according to an initial scoring transcript released by the Hawks-employed scoring staff, as well as a preliminary box score issued by the Hawks, O'Neal was listed as having only five fouls.
In dispute is a foul called on the Heat with 3:24 to play in the fourth quarter.
In the initial transcript released by the Hawks' scoring staff, the foul was assessed to power forward Udonis Haslem, and reflected as such in the initial final box score issued by the team.
Video of the play in question reflects a foul on Haslem.
However, more than 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game, a revised scoring transcript was issued assessing the foul to O'Neal.
According to the NBA Constitution and Bylaws, a team has 48 hours from the conclusion of a game to forward grounds for protest to Commissioner David Stern, with a $10,000 payment that is forfeited if the protest is rejected.
Over the past two seasons, the league has rejected two such protests over out-of-town scoring.
Earlier this season, the Mavericks protested that a second-quarter shot by Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy was incorrectly scored as a 3-pointer, even though a signal for a two-point basket clearly was offered.
Stern rejected that claim by stating the error by the Indiana scoring crew "did not have such a clear impact on the outcome of the game."
The Mavericks also were cited for failing to immediately question the error.
"Although NBA rules would have allowed the game officials to correct the scoring error at any time prior to the end of the game," Stern's statement said, "it was not brought to their attention until after the game."
The Heat did not appear to address O'Neal's disqualification until receiving the initial postgame box score that listed O'Neal with only five fouls.
The league could make a statement by upholding such a protest, with the Hawks essentially a repeat offender.
Just over a year ago, the Atlanta scoring team failed to record two points scored on a fourth-quarter layup by Toronto guard T.J. Ford in what turned into a 97-95 loss for the Raptors.
The Heat's remaining trip to Atlanta is March 8.
More articles
To subscribe, click here.
Copyright © 2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel