Orlando Gets Cheated
Am I the only one who thought that the dude running the game clock was a Pistons fan? That was the most lopsided, biast call I have seen all year!
In case you didn’t see the Magic vs. Pistons game last night, here is what happened:
The 3rd quarter had 5.1 seconds remaning, and Rasheed Wallace inbounds the ball to Chauncey Billups. Billups takes it up the floor, and then passes it inside to Stuckey, I believe. Stuckey goes in, and passes back out to Billups. Chauncey then takes a three-pointer and it goes in.
Surprisngly, according to the game clock, only 0.3 seconds expired this entire play. Hmm…
I immeditaely yelled “BULLSH*T” as well as some other vulgar extremeties.
After a lengthy discussion most likely about pizza and Hooter’s chicks, the refs “reviewed” the play, and called it good, the basket would count.
Now, at that moment I knew the call was wrong.
Later in the 4th quarter, the two guys playing commentators on the game, (Levin and Dunleavy, I believe) got footage from the broadcasting trailer, clearly showing that the play had gone on too long.
The video streamed live during a timeout, and had an inbounds timer in the bottom left-hand corner of it.
For those of you unfaniliar with the rule, as soon as a player inbounds touches the ball, the clock starts. Well, not this time apparently.
The timer clearly showed before Billups released the ball 5.22 seconds, which is 0.12 seconds longer than they had to get a shot off.
If that shot had not counted, which it shouldn’t have, then the Magic would have gone into the 4th with the lead and pumped for a win. But, that was not allowed to happen, due to one-sided refereeing.
I still believe that the Magic can rebound from this, and hopefully the refs in Orlando see it straight.
-Mike Greenspire
May 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Just like the good ole’ days when Jordon took 12 steps before dunking.
The refs just looked the other way, they didn’t want to jeopardized a good Sports Center Highlight.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Weasels. Take care, Miracle!
-Mike Greenspire
May 7th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Dude…MIKEY!!! Come on now. The call stunk but you can’t blame either team for that. Refs blow calls ALL GAME LONG but you can’t use that as an excuse for losing a game. What makes you think that if the shot clock wasn’t clicking off the milliseconds, the pistons wouldn’t have taken a shot earlier and hit it? There are shot clocks above each basket JUST FOR THAT REASON!!! How many balls are called strike? How many spots of the football are off by inches? How many pucks clank off the post in hockey?
Tough break. I wish it didn’t happen but it did and the series moves to Orlando.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:42 am
It was bogus…but there are several calls throughout the course of a game that affect the outcome.
That being said, this one was pretty blatant.
To be fair, you also have to point out that Orlando blew it at the end of the game. Their last possession was horrible, as they had several seconds to find a good look…but put up a low percentage shot way too quickly. They also had that off-the-ball foul that resulted in an extra free throw and Detroit kept possession.