The NBA needs to look into Atlanta's stadium crew...

[ljp24]

not a die-hard fan of the celtics/raptors but ff the Celtics lose, this will be the second game of the season the Hawks won decided by incompetence on the part of the Hawks. This one will be worse, it's on ESPN.

[miller31time]

So the lack of shot-clock is causing the Celtics to lose by 15? Yeah, there have been more than questionable possessions, but Atlanta is flat-out out-playing the Celtics right now.

[YiYaoYue]

i wouldn't blame the loss on the incompetence, but i think anyone would agree that when they make as many errors as they do compared to other stadiums... they really stink

[Lazy Faizy]

I just got home turned on the TV and its a commercial.. someone fill me in! the shot clock isn't working or something?



EDIT: wrong channel the shot clock is working...

[Duiz]

This is terrible... they need to be severely fined.

[T-Spot]

Atlanta guys shut down their shot clocks under the "it don't work" smokescreen [speculative] and the PA announcer is calling out completely biased and unfair shot clock time [obvious, Phillips Arena, folks!]. I mean if you want to cheat, be subtle about it.

Palmer is apparently totally biased for Atlanta. [sexy time in the locker room before the game? speculative.]

The Celts can't make a lay-up. [less obvious]

[miller31time]

Atlanta guys shut down their shot clocks under the "it don't work" smokescreen [speculative] and the PA announcer is calling out completely biased and unfair shot clock time [obvious, Phillips Arena, folks!]. I mean if you want to cheat, be subtle about it.

That's ridiculous, and is a conspiracy theory at best. Yes, they mis-counted at times but the situation was deemed a mess when it happened. Everyone knew there was going to be problems when it first transpired.

Palmer is apparently totally biased for Atlanta. [sexy time in the locker room before the game? speculative.]

Yes, the league is now making officials call against their meal-ticket (Boston). That makes a lot of sense.

The simple answer to Palmer's officiating is that she is a terrible terrible official, no matter where she's calling the games.

[kandiking]

how dare somebody outplay the celtics!

[T-Spot]

The "shut down the clocks" part was a conspiracy theory, but I seriously doubt Atlanta got shafted on mis-counts, unlike Boston who the PA announcer is screwing with (mumbled readings, giving less warning, and just plain not calling time properly) [the guy has a Hawks hat on. Yeah, he's not going to be biased].

Violet Palmer is terrible. And the calls are going the Hawks way. Biased might be putting it a little strongly, but mesh. [unless the NBA wants to make the series more interesting to draw more audiences, which is speculative].

The again, I hate the Phillips Arena, so it probably makes more sense to me than it does to you.

[The Red Army]

The Hawks won this game and the shot clock played a minor, if any, role in the victory.

But the thing everyone is semi-upset about is that it HAD to go down in ATLANTA. Any other place, nothing would be said, but by this happening in atlanta it just creates more positive reinforcement that their scorekeeping crew/equipment are suspect.

[T-Spot]

The Hawks won this game and the shot clock played a minor, if any, role in the victory.

But the thing everyone is semi-upset about is that it HAD to go down in ATLANTA. Any other place, nothing would be said, but by this happening in atlanta it just creates more positive reinforcement that their scorekeeping crew/equipment are suspect.

If you got a room full of people, and there is a murder. Are you going to suspect the guy who wears bow ties and can't get laid, or a convicted murderer [x3]?

Its more interesting that shizzle like this nizzle always goes down in the ATL ya heard?

[carrottop12]

I want the Hawks to win this series, but I have to agree that the Stadium crew is easily the worst in the NBA.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Hawks win tonight, but the fact that this collection of "professionals" does their job so poorly is something that needs to be fixed.

I guess you could say that this crew is the Atlanta Hawks of NBA stadium crews.

[evilRyu]

i am not the least bit surprised.... Just shocked they would take it up a notch and display this during the playoffs.

[caborn]

I'm pretty sure they said the horn was working so I don't think the PA announcer could have done that without the refs noticing... though who knows, the refs aren't exactly up to track with everything.

[High 5]

You guys should be celebrating this blunder. The shot clock is obviously the key to the Celtics success. Without it they can't make a shot.

[Ern III]

Don't blame the scoreboard/clock crew in Atlanta; they're only temps. The usual staff are on the holidays they booked months ago.

[Falstaff]

Well, it's pretty embarrassing. I'd imagine that the Hawks just about have to find new score-keepers etc. after how many egregious problems they've had this year.

That said, the Hawks won and the Celtics lost. If this is all it takes to rattle the C's and cause a loss to an inferior team, then there's no way they'll take home the championship this year.

So I prefer to believe that it had nothing to do with it, that the Hawks played a really great game, the Celtics came out flat and never got going, and that the ship will be righted in game 4.

Congrats Atlanta, nice win.

[UNLVNugsFan]

I would definitely say that the Hawks need to be fined for this type of nonsense, it lowers the overall quality and watchability (probably not a real word, but I do not care!) of the product. That being said, is it a conspiracy? God no. Why would anyone, with any relation to the NBA really try to rig a game in favor of Atlanta, over Boston?

Thats just insanity.

[JStockLivesOn]

Don't blame the scoreboard/clock crew in Atlanta; they're only temps. The usual staff are on the holidays they booked months ago.

Lol!!

[Spicy P]

I don't think it's a coincidence that the shot clock all of a sudden stops working when the Celtics tie up the game and starts working again when the Hawks take a massive lead near the end of the game.