NBA statement on inadvertent clock stoppage in Pistons-Magic Game 2
InsideHoops.com NewsWire | May 6, 2008
Joel Litvin, NBA President, League and Basketball
Operations, issued the following statement today regarding the inadvertent
clock stoppage that occurred at the end of the third quarter of the Detroit Pistons’ 100-93 win over the Orlando Magic last night at the Palace of
Auburn Hills in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals:
“After reviewing the video of last night’s Pistons-Magic game, we
determined that the play that concluded with Chauncey Billups’ three-point
field goal at the end of the third quarter took approximately 5.7 seconds.
Because there were only 5.1 seconds remaining in the quarter when the play
began, the shot would not have counted had the clock continued to run.
"The referees followed proper procedure in addressing the clock malfunction
by estimating the elapsed time and using their judgment as to whether the
shot was taken in time. Under NBA rules, the referees did not have the
option of using instant replay and a timing device to determine exactly how
much time had elapsed, nor do the rules allow for a re-play after a clock
malfunction is discovered. The NBA Competition Committee was scheduled to
discuss the possible expanded use of instant replay at its meeting at the
end of the month and we will raise, for the Committee's consideration, the
use of replay in situations like this.”
The NBA determined that the clock stoppage resulted from a technical
malfunction in the arena timing system. As with all NBA playoff games, the
timekeeper who worked last night's game was from a "neutral" city.
|