By K.C. Johnson
The NBA league office said today that officials properly overturned Brad Miller's potential game-winning shot at the end of the Bulls' 90-89 loss to Denver on Tuesday.
Miller caught an inbounds pass from Kirk Hinrich with 0.3 seconds left and hoisted an awkward-looking shot that officials signaled was good at the buzzer.
But after a review that lasted roughly 3 minutes, crew chief Mark Wunderlich waved it off.
The NBA league office said today that officials properly overturned Brad Miller's potential game-winning shot at the end of the Bulls' 90-89 loss to Denver on Tuesday.
Miller caught an inbounds pass from Kirk Hinrich with 0.3 seconds left and hoisted an awkward-looking shot that officials signaled was good at the buzzer.
But after a review that lasted roughly 3 minutes, crew chief Mark Wunderlich waved it off.
Reviews are supposed to be completed within 2 minutes. But Wunderlich asked if more angles were available at the 2-minute mark, and NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Wunderlich has the authority to extend the review.
At this point, Wunderlich received an overhead angle that, in his judgment, conclusively showed the ball still on Miller's fingertips when the red light and buzzer went off.
Just like football, Frank said conclusive evidence is needed to overturn the call made on the court.
"The review was conducted properly and the right call was made," Frank said.
Players are allowed to catch and shoot in 0.3 seconds. Contrary to what Nuggets coach George Karl said afterward, no rule exists prohibiting players from catching, pivoting and shooting.
However, a player must perform those acts and release the shot before the red light goes on. And officials ruled Miller did not.
As for Hinrich's foul on Chauncey Billups, which led to Billups' game-winning free throw with 0.6 seconds left, replays appeared to indicate the foul occurring with 1.1 seconds left. However, Frank said the clock has to be at 0.0 for the time of a foul to be reviewed and changed.
At this point, Wunderlich received an overhead angle that, in his judgment, conclusively showed the ball still on Miller's fingertips when the red light and buzzer went off.
Just like football, Frank said conclusive evidence is needed to overturn the call made on the court.
"The review was conducted properly and the right call was made," Frank said.
Players are allowed to catch and shoot in 0.3 seconds. Contrary to what Nuggets coach George Karl said afterward, no rule exists prohibiting players from catching, pivoting and shooting.
However, a player must perform those acts and release the shot before the red light goes on. And officials ruled Miller did not.
As for Hinrich's foul on Chauncey Billups, which led to Billups' game-winning free throw with 0.6 seconds left, replays appeared to indicate the foul occurring with 1.1 seconds left. However, Frank said the clock has to be at 0.0 for the time of a foul to be reviewed and changed.
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I bet my bottom dollar that not a single one of the respondents here has the cajones to officiate a midget basketball game, muchless an NBA game.
It was ruled a basket by three officials. Is there INCONCLUSIVE evidence that warranted the zebras to OVERRULE their initial call. I think NOT!
@ fire the timekeeper -- they use precision timing in the NBA. refs have a little timing switchbox on their belt that they hit when they believe the ball has been touched. the timekeepers don't start/stop the clock at the UC. so maybe fire the refs?
In answer to one comment, the NBA allows teams to call automatic, conditional timeouts. So when Noah got the rebound, the timeout that Vinnie requested before the free throw was granted.
I wonder if the clock was properly started on the Bulls' inbounds play. The clock should not start until a player touches the ball. Does anyone know if the timekeeper anticipated Miller getting the ball and starting the clock a tick early?
And it took the officials more than 3 minutes to make that decision.
@ Mike. I disagre, in the other angles it looked a lot like he let go of the ball with an open hand so to break contact with it.. in the overhead shot I believe what we are seeing is his open hand, which looks a lot like a shooting hand with fingertips on it. Like I said though, in other angles the open hand really looks like it's not on the ball but moving back from it.. you've shot a basketball real quick before you know what I'm saying, it's more like throwing a dart or aiming something.. you just get momentum going on it and let go mid-push, not finish off your shot the way you usually would.
sorry for the rambling post but i think the refs never should have overturned that call.
This whole thing should have been moot, as Noah held onto the preceding free-throw rebound for at least a second after the clock went to 0.0 before the Bulls' timeout was even called.
And what about the fact that they got the previous call wrong, even according to the NBA review? If there should have been closer to 1.1 seconds at the time of Kirk's foul, we sure could have used that .5 of a second at the end! Yeah, I know, one of those nights, the shooters couldn't shoot, and the refs had a tough night too. I don't think they were biased one way more than another, but jeez, their poor decisions really affected the flow of the game, again and again... imho... whoops, will I get fined here for criticizing the officiating? Hah!
I felt that the video was inconclusive. But I also think that it was questionable that the Bulls even got a chance at that 0.3 second posession (so they probably should have lost the game anyway).
@ J - I agree that none of this would matter if Hinrich or Salmons could make a shot. That's why I think the Bulls will miss Ben Gordon. He was the only one who consistently took (and made) buzzer beaters.
@ dude - I assume you know every NBA Ref personally, since you accuse them all of being gamblers and corrupt. Just because Tim Donaghy was on the take, you assume every Ref is??? Can you even name more than 5 NBA Refs??
What else are they going to say. Are they going to admit they were wrong? I think think so. I hate NBA referees they are all gamblers and corupt.
I don't get it; there is nothing conclusive that shows the ball was definitely on Brad's Miller finger tips. The original call by the refs indicated the shot was good. I just don't understand on how this can be overturned. I sure hope the Bulls stop being politically correct and start making some noise on how bad this call was.
They made that call right, but they were pretty terrible in the 4th qtr.
Deng was blatantly tripped on a loose ball by Anthony and there was no foul called.
Then, Noah had complete possession of a rebound yet somehow the refs ruled Nene had possession as well and Denver won the jump ball.
Still, if Hinrich or Salmons could make a shot, none of this would matter.
I'm a Bull fan, but I have to disagree. The warning is lit and the ball is clearly still coming off Miller's shooting hand. I'm sorry to say the refs got this call right.