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Being a basketball ref is a lot harder than most people on Twitter would lead you to believe. While we oftentimes are able to come to conclusions on individual plays after a few camera angles and slow motion replays, they have to do things in the moment that could determine the winner and loser of a basketball game.
Having said that, the use of instant replay has made some aspects of officiating a little easier. Things like figuring out how much time should be on the clock and whether a three-pointer should count for three points or two may be tough in the moment, but after taking a step back, officials are usually able to come to the right conclusion.
So, basically, if there are ever any questions about whether a shot is a two or a three and the refs are able to look, it should go to replay. For some reason, this shot did not make it that far, and despite being a very obvious two, Damian Lillard got three points for it. It’s probably safe to assume that this is the shortest three pointer ever since the NBA introduced the three-point line back in 1979.
A reddit user noticed this shot from Portland’s game in Brooklyn from January of last year. Lillard pulled up from about two and a half feet inside the arc and knocked down a jumper. For some reason, he got three points for it, even though it was very obviously a two.
The crazy thing is this shot didn’t even go to instant replay, presumably because the ref who called it a three didn’t want to get made fun of by the other members of that officiating crew while they huddled up and watched the play. Ok, the real answer is explained by Ian Eagle in the video, but it’s much easier to think that the ref just didn’t want to get clowned by his co-workers.
Fortunately for the ref who missed the call, this shot didn’t decide the game, as Portland beat Brooklyn, 106-96.
