Posted on 05/14/2004 11:36:39 AM PDT by ZGuy
[Follow the link to see the photos that go along with the text]
Notice how Fisher catches the ball with his feet in the air. So he landed on the ground, turned, pivoted and then shot in .4? No way.
Here is Fisher landing on the ground. Clock is still at .4.
Fisher starting to turn to the hoop. Clock still the same.
Fisher continues to turn. Clock continues to say .4.
Fisher pivoting. Clock frozen.
Fisher is beginning to go up with the shot. Still .4?!?!
Fisher is now all the way around, ready to go into shooting motion. The clock is amazingly still on .4.
I did think that was a long 0.4 second.
However, this did occur on San Antonio's home court. No one to blame here.
Refs, timekeeper and now the NBA say...
[BZZZZZZZZZZZZT!]
Shot counts. Lakers win. Lakers lead the series, 3-2.
Maybe the Spurs should have gotten their business done the other 47 minutes of the game, so it didn't come down to whether Duncan or Fisher got the last shot off. Especially since they were playing at home, where they'd already beaten the Lakers 2-0.
On-court referee starts the clock, actually.
To be fair, they should also do a photo analysis of Duncan's shot... it seemed to me that the clock was at 0.8 seconds when the ball passed the rim...
Let's see...
Spurs were at home.
Spurs had both Laker big men in foul trouble for most of the second period.
Spurs are the defending world champions.
Spurs are probably the worst free-throw shooting team still playing (they make the Lakers look like a team of Bill Sharmans).
But the Spurs won the game.
Go cry to Gore, I'm sure he feels the same way.
Didja know that Brady fumble in the 2002 AFC Playoffs?
Unlike the Buffalo Sabres who lost the Stanley Cup on an "in the crease" violation which was so blatant that the NHL actually CHANGED THE RULE the next season from preventing it from happening again.
Also, get over it. Its only a game.
Please note that my name is not listed as the author.
I just find 'em and post 'em.
And the Philadelphia Eagles' amazing 4th-and-26 completion during last year's NFL playoffs really was only 25 yards. These things happen - sometimes they break for you, sometimes against. No point in whining about it. If this is the difference whether San Antonio advances or not, then whether they deserve to advance is questionable.
These things definitely happen. That's why I use instances such as this to teach kids that you ARE going to get bad calls, not only in sports, but in life, and you'd better be ready for it.
Nope. I watched teh play in slow-mo too.
The clock operator ran the play as close to perfection as you can get. The NBA has specifically ruled too, I should note, that a shot can be made with .4 seconds.
OTOH, the clock operator clearly failed to stop the clock for .3 or .4 sec after Duncan's previously made shot.
It is sad to see this kind of whining from one of the NBA's classier organizations. Maybe signing that French guy is wearing off on the old team of David Robinson...
FYI..the ball's in THIS court now..
Oh, and specifically, one can see Fish catch the ball, the clock start, and it leave his hands at .1, and is about 2 feet from him when it reaches 0.
I don't know what the original author was smoking.
NBA supplies timekeepers for the playoffs, not the home team.
I don't pay any attention to sports, but I watch games often, especially NFL games as they are always on when I go to friends or family on Sunday for food and beer.
I remember a play last year where a guy was stopped on the 1 yard line, nowhere near the goal line. Ref signaled touchdown. Challenge was made. The announcers in the booth couldn't imagine a reversal taking more than 5 seconds. Kept talking about how there is no way it would be a touch down.
Well, even after review they upheld the call on the field. Probably the single worst call I have ever seen my entire life.
All San Antonio needed was a coach with an IQ over 60 who could figure out that when there is .4 seconds left, you get somebody in the face of Gary Payton. All he has to do is force Payton to lob the ball in, and the game's over, Spurs Win!!! But, nooooooo, Payton has a clear look and simply rifles the ball to Fisher so that he has just enough time to get the shot off. If there are 2 seconds left on the clock, fine, focus on Shaq or Kobe, but when there is .4 left, you do anything to disrupt the inbounds pass, or at least force the thrower to redirect the pass so that it could not possibly arrive in time. Popovich blew it big time!!!
I had Spurs season tickets for over 25 years (at the sideline courtside for the last part of that time) so I commisserate.
But, the game is over and the results won't be changed. We now need to win in LA.
The absolutely great effort to come back from 16 points down (in spite of 13 turnovers in the 3rd quarter) shows we can do it.
Go Spurs!
Doesn't the clock start when the ball is touched by the receiving player and not when it leaves the throwers hand?
Too bad you guys don't have Steve Kerr this time around, he broke Mavs fans hearts last year.
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