NBA: Where Getting Jobbed by the Refs Happens

[MyInsatiableOne]

Anyone catch the Det-Orl game last night when, at the end of the 3rd quarter, there was 4.8 seconds left and the Pistons took the ball out, drove down to the other end, passed it around, took a 3 pointer, made it...and the clock never started? Orlando (and I) were screaming and pointing. So what do the refs do? They give the basket to Detroit (putting them up 2) and give Orlando the ball with 0.5 seconds left...basically a useless possession. I said to myself "This **** game is going to come down to that basket" and sure enough it did, with 17 seconds left in the game and Orlando down by 2 (instead of up 1). As you all know, instead of being able to run out the clock and win the game, they had to scramble for a shot, didn't get it, foul Detroit to stop the clock, etc, and they lost.

To make matter worse, TNT showed the feed as recorded in their video truck, with the timestamp, and the play by the Pistons took 5.22 seconds and the ball didn't leave Billups' hands until the 5.11 mark...clearly, they did not get it off in time.

But instead of replaying the possession with the clock running, the refs jobbed Orlando.

The NBA....it's RIGTASTIC!

[heh8me2]

I wouldn't say its rigged necessarily but the officials do need to be either trained better or replaced with guys with no egos.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Here's more from ESPN.Com:


Magic Clocked In Detroit
By John Denton
Special to ESPN.com

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- For an Orlando Magic team already playing with so little margin for error against the playoff-hardened Detroit Pistons, this controversy was an absolutely crushing blow.

When Detroit All-Star Chauncey Billups was allowed to dribble up the court, pass off to Rodney Stuckey, get the ball back and launch a 3-pointer -- all in the span of one second off the game clock -- it crippled a Magic team that had managed to finally gain some momentum.

The problem, of course, was that the game clock mysteriously stopped twice along the way to Billups' momentum-turning shot. The ball was in-bounded in the backcourt with 5.1 seconds left, but the clock stopped inexplicably at 4.8 seconds and again at 4.1 seconds as Billups' shot hit the net.

Referees Steve Javie, Joe Forte and Derrick Stafford huddled for almost two minutes and ultimately decided that the play happened in 4.6 seconds. They counted the shot and put five-tenths of a second back on the clock -- obviously much to the shock and disgust of the Magic, which went from being up one point to down two.

The officials were not allowed to look at television replays because the play didn't come at the end of a half or end of the game. However, TNT replays did show that the play took 5.23 seconds in real time.

Javie refused to talk to a pool reporter after the game, so it's uncertain whether a referee or clock operator Tom Mauer (brother of NBA referee Ken Mauer) failed to properly start the clock.

"The clock stopped and they had to estimate how much time and they estimated 4.6 seconds. I mean, that's almost funny. 'How long did that play take? Uh, well, I don't know? 4.3, 4.6, I think, four or five seconds, right?'" Magic coach Stan Van Gundy fumed, semi-mocking the referees' decision-making process.

"They estimated 4.6. What can you do? They were put in a very tough situation on that call and it didn't go our way."

Orlando did rebound from the Billups blow to take an 84-80 lead early in the fourth quarter, but it ultimately fell apart down the stretch of the crushing 100-93 loss to the Pistons.

Several Magic players refused to point to Billups' shot as the reason they lost, but its impact was undeniable. An Orlando team that made all seven of its 3-pointers in the third quarter missed eight of nine tries from beyond the arc in the fourth period.

And in the end, Billups said what the Magic would not: "It's a tough play. It really (stinks) to be on the other end of that, but we'll take it."


Seems a little fishy a ref's brother was manning the clock...did they have money on the game? And I love Stan Van Gundy's mocking of the decision because he's right, they just arbitrarily decided how long it took. Probably because they were afraid of pissing off the Pistons' crowd and starting another on-court melee between fans and players and refs.

[CelticsWhat!]

Yeah, I'm not sure why the ref's didn't decide to just replay the possession. They've done things like that before, although usually it doesn't take them that long to notice the clock not running.

However, you were off on your description of what happened. Billups' shot was the only one taken. Stuckey went up for a shot but then passed it to Billups in mid-air. But either way, he didn't get it off in 4.8 seconds.

They should've replayed the possession. You can't penalize the Magic for the ineptitude of the clock managers, but you also can't penalize the Pistons either. Who's to say that Stuckey wouldn't have taken the shot if he noticed the time running down?

All in all, it was just a bad situation that the refs and the clock managers screwed up, and it benefited the Pistons.

[SuperDeluxe]

I don't understand what the refs did. Why estimate how long the play took, when it would have been easy to watch the replay and time it?

[MyInsatiableOne]

Yeah, I'm not sure why the ref's didn't decide to just replay the possession. They've done things like that before, although usually it doesn't take them that long to notice the clock not running.

However, you were off on your description of what happened. Billups' shot was the only one taken. Stuckey went up for a shot but then passed it to Billups in mid-air. But either way, he didn't get it off in 4.8 seconds.

They should've replayed the possession. You can't penalize the Magic for the ineptitude of the clock managers, but you also can't penalize the Pistons either. Who's to say that Stuckey wouldn't have taken the shot if he noticed the time running down?

All in all, it was just a bad situation that the refs and the clock managers screwed up, and it benefited the Pistons.

You're right, only one shot taken (I'll edit it). I thought they should have just re-started the possession once the clock was fixed and let Detroit have the full clock and take it out at the baseline again. I have a nagging feeling maybe there was something fishy since a ref's brother was the clock operator (TNT announcers made a point of emphasizing the clock operator was "from Minnesota, so he's neutral" as if a) Minnesota is so far from Michigan, and b) assuming no one knew at the time it was a refs brother). I don't buy into conspiracy theories EVER but in the wake of last year's Tim Donaghy scandal, I'll believe something like this in the NBA...

[MyInsatiableOne]

I don't understand what the refs did. Why estimate how long the play took, when it would have been easy to watch the replay and time it?

According to the brilliant league rules, you can only watch the replay when the clock is at 0.00....

Good call on that, Stern!

[ermocrate]

I think the game should be repeated due to that technical error.

[Tommy Udo 6]

If the clock was running, Detroit would have shot sooner. Dont you think?

Players see the clock that shows 4 seconds so they think they have a couple more seconds. They dont realize the clock is stopped, and see no reason to rush the shot

[ermocrate]

If the clock was running, Detroit would have shot sooner. Dont you think?

Players see the clock that shows 4 seconds so they think they have a couple more seconds. They dont realize the clock is stopped, and see no reason to rush the shot

Maybe a rushed shot has less percentages that a non-rushed one...

[MyInsatiableOne]

-= original quote snipped =-


Maybe a rushed shot has less percentages that a non-rushed one...

Exactly.

Even if no maliciousness was intended on the part of the league/refs, it was a blown call and again brings up questions in the minds of the fans (hardcore and casual alike) as to the legitimacy of the product. This is something Stern has been hiding his head in the sand from and giving a lot of empty rhetoric rather than addressing (both in word and deed) honestly and effectively.

[Athanacropolis]

Wow. I missed this game, but that's not even surprising, given how crap-tastic a lot of officiating is in the NBA. Shameful. REPLAY THE DAMN POSSESSION you stupid refs! The clock wasn't working! My ten-year-old cousin could see what what proper thing to do is.

[DorfonCeltics]

-= original quote snipped =-



According to the brilliant league rules, you can only watch the replay when the clock is at 0.00....

Good call on that, Stern!

Exactly, the real problem is the rule book. Refs aren't alloweed to look at video unless it's a 0.00 as Insatiable said. That's really messed up because the play is stopped, what's keeping them from walking over and putting a stop watch to the video (something the announcers were suggesting). In this day and age, the fact that this is not a possability is a travashamockery. I guarantee you this rule is going to be reviewed and changed in the off season. Stern doesn't like public outcry over the integrity of his game.

However, they had a shot to send it to overtime and instead, Hedo launches this absurd off balance three only 4 seconds into the shot clock when they're down by 2. Not a smart play at all. What happened to taking it to the hole strong and try to draw a foul? It's too bad for Orlando though, IMO they deserved to win this game.

[MyInsatiableOne]

I watched the game live and saw the incident in question...I was screaming my head off and was mad both as a basketball fan and a Pistons hater

[Gomes3PC]

NBA officials are likely my least-favorite of the four major sports. I'd say MLB umps (at least for the playoffs) are the best, followed by NHL, NFL, and then way behind those three are NBA referees. Seems like EVERY series there is a horribly mismanaged call by the refs and they NEVER own up to it. At least the NFL/MLB send little apology letters. Stern and co. just let them get off scot-free. The best part of the whole debacle was that Javy refused to talk to the press, basically admitting he **** up.

[CelticsWhat!]

I thought ref's weren't allowed to talk to the press.

[jfs1000d]

Javie refused to talk to a poll reporter? F him. That;s the problem with the NBA officials. No accountability. They are criminals.

[Athanacropolis]

Javie refused to talk to a poll reporter? F him. That;s the problem with the NBA officials. No accountability. They are criminals.

Exactly what I have been saying! Just a little accountability would go a long way. They're the teachers and politicians of the NBA: do what they want, and F everybody else, and no consequences for themselves.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Javie refused to talk to a poll reporter? F him. That;s the problem with the NBA officials. No accountability. They are criminals.

Not only that, ANY criticism of them by players/coaches result in HEAVY fines and/or suspensions.

Stern runs the NBA like it's the USSR/Cuba/China/North Korea/California

[tombattor]

NBA where whining and bitching after every game happens.