The Toronto Raptors are understandably angry this morning after a 102-99 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Terrence Ross appeared to hit a game-tying shot at the end of regulation that brought much joy to Drake, presumably, but after a lengthy review, the bucket was waved off and the Kings won.
The issue at hand was when the clock started. With 2.4 seconds remaining DeMarcus Cousins deflected the inbound pass but the clock didn’t start until Ross touched the ball. Review determined that if the clock had started when Cousins touched the ball, Ross would not have released the shot in time. Ross wasn’t happy, much like that time on Friends when Ross wasn’t happy because his boss ate his turkey sandwich and threw some of it away.
Kyle Lowry was so sad and so determined to avoid a fine for criticizing officials afterward that this was his postgame statement about the play.
The decision led to coach Dwayne Casey (and probably most of the Internet) self-timing the play, and he wasn’t convinced that the basket shouldn’t have counted anyway. From The Star:
“I’ve got to hear another explanation better than that because we reviewed it about 10 times in (the locker room) and even if the clock started once DeMarcus Cousins deflected it, T Ross caught, shot it with point-whatever it was, with plenty of time,” Casey said, before Callaghan spoke to the reporter.
“I don’t know where the malfunction came, I’ve got to hear more than that because I just watched the same review that they had.”
A similar situation unfolded two years ago when the Grizzlies beat the Kings on a last-second basket that counted. In this situation, the ball wasn’t tipped (although it may have been) and the clock may not have started as soon the ball was touched in bounds.
It’s a tough break for the Raptors but they can comfort themselves with the knowledge it was only a game-tying basket and they may have lost in overtime anyway. So if you see Lowry on the street today, just tell him there’s a 50-50 chance the Kings would have won. I’m sure that will make him feel better.
(The Star)
