Western Conference Semifinals: (2) Oklahoma City vs. (3) LA Clippers

This ... one of our posters already referred to this rule...while its really a dumb rule, when looking at its context and how it applies to this situation, there shouldnt be much of a question anymore. Reggie Jackson had the ball knocked from his control resulting in the ball going out of bounds. The ref wasnt able to see the foul called, but determined in a split second that Barnes was responsible for the TO. With video evidence, Reggie Jackson clearly was the last person to touch the ball. Invoking this particular rule, the refs correctly allowed the Thunder to retain possession. Im sure someone from the NBA brought this rule to the attention of Doc Rivers.

Regardless, the Clippers even after all their gaffes had a chance to win the game by putting the ball in the hands of one of their best players: Chris Paul. He had a chance to make up for the bad turnover, and for the bogus foul call on a 3 point attempt by Westbrook.

 

All of this debate is not necessary. Even though seeing CP3, Barnes, and Doc suffer brings me glee, Doc was right about the make up call.
1) The front ref was not in position bc of the speed of the play so he never had a clear angle on the foul and just assumed Barnes knocked it out bc Jackson lost the ball.
2) The refs at the time didn't know of the rule that could have arguably been applied here based on their released explanations of inconclusiveness prior to the rule being brought out.

It seems evident to me that the refs all went "crap, missed foul there" internally, and then when they went to huddle, all said, "the video is inconclusive." Doc is partially right that throughout all their mistakes, that doesn't mean they lose the right to win the game. That's a huge call that screwed them...but it happens. CP3 could have not fouled Westbrook afterwards and the Clippers could have played better than crap.

It's a tough call that is defensible in hindsight only bc of the rules that nobody knew at the time. I slightly sympathize with the Clips, but since they're a bunch of whiny floppers, punks, and nut punchers, it makes me smile too.

 

How pathetic.

“We did a lot of stuff to lose the game ourselves,” he admitted.

That's where he should've left it at.

 

Your thinking is very illogical and biased. Of course there was no guarantee that Jackson would have hit both free throws. But there was also no guarantee that OKC could make a shot with the inbound play. In fact, the odds of making both FTs is a LOT better than making a 3pt or 2pt shot with an inbound play.

If anything, OKC got screwed by not getting the foul call. They got lucky when Paul committed a dumb foul.

 

Can you explain why Barnes should've been called for a foul? The hand is part of the ball, isn't it?

 

Rule 8 Section II - c of the NBA rulebook states:

If a player has his hand in contact with the ball and an opponent hits the hand causing the ball to go out-of-bounds, the team whose player had his hand on the ball will retain possession.

 

Why are you still arguing about this?

If he hit the wrist, it's a foul.

If he hit the hand and caused the ball to go out of bound, it's OKC ball.

Even Doc Rivers admitted that it was a foul. The video was not very clear. But it looked like he hit the wrist.

the whole point is, the Clippers did NOT get screwed on that play as they are crying about.

 

Disagree. Barnes primarily hit Jackson's hand. If there was contact with Jackson's wrist, it was incidental at best. Incidental contact isn't a foul.

Incorrect. Barnes hit Jackson's left hand. However, it was Jackson's right hand that caused the ball to go out of bounds.

Think about your application of the rule. Let's say that Durant was standing at the baseline. If the ball were to hit Durant's knee before going out of bounds, would you still award OKC the ball b/c Barnes initially dislodged the ball?

 

If the hand is part of the ball, then it should be out of bounds on Barnes, since his hitting Jackson's hand is the reason the ball went out of bounds.

 

I couldn't see any clear conclusive evidence that the ball hit Jackson's right hand in the video. If there is no definitive proof to overturn the call, the call on the court should stand.

 

No, Barnes dislodged the ball by hitting Jackson's left hand. Afterwards, Jackon's right hand hit the loose ball, and that's the reason the ball went out of bounds.

 

Look again, it's conclusive. After the ball is dislodged, the ball's trajectory is headed back towards the free throw line. Then, Jackson's right hand makes contact with the ball and pushes it forward and out of bounds at the baseline.

 

If I was the Clippers, I'd be furious that the out of bounds was given to OKC.

If I was OKC, and the ball was given to the Clippers, I'd be furious that the refs swallowed their whistle on a foul and the stupidity of how that review rule is applied.

If I'm a ref, no matter what I do, I'm pissing someone off, but at least in this case, I'd feel natural justice occurred even if legality wasn't.

 

Up 7 with 50 seconds left...

incredible choke by the clippers, even more so than the rockets.

 

you like the Rockets right?

Wait til Bennett Salvatore butt rapes the Rockets out of a couple of posessions next season and then see what it means

 

I thought the refs kept OKC in the game, especially in the first half, when OKC had that stretch where they couldn't score a FG for about 6 minutes, n all the points they scored were FT's, putting lotta Clippers players in foul trouble, especially Jordan. That's why Westbrook kept attacking the whole, cause there wasnt a real shot-blocker there. Also thought that OKC got lotta touch fouls. That last play just topped it all. Clipps are very good team, n they were able to overcome it many times, throughout the game.

If it was some-what fairly called majority of the game, it would of been a blowout, just like in game 1. So yea Clippers got screwed in my opinion, aside from choking.

 

In that Durant hypo he would have completely lost possession of the ball before it hit his knee. That is not the same as Reggie having both hands on the ball and having one hand hit and the ball touching the other one before he loses possession.

 

I think JVG is commentating this game which means we will see him rant about the last game and this game.

 

Had this played out on the Rockets...
People would've been concentrating on Lin's 4 mistakes (rightfully so).
McHale would've rode over the players (Lin mainly) with his semi instead of complaining about bad calls.
LOH would've questioned why McHale didn't take Lin out after the 1st mistake.

The only ones complaining about the refs would've been the LOFs.

 

I don't see anything conclusive in the replays that demonstrates that it's his right hand that knocks it out. It's unclear, so the original call stands. Besides that, it's all in a single action. I don't think it's very important if one hand is touching the ball a fraction of a second longer than the other hand if the reason the ball goes out of bounds is the player's hand being hit. If the ball went back toward the center of court (the physics of which seems pretty unlikely), but the ball bounced off the player's foot out of bounds, then fine, I'll concede the reason it went out of bounds was the foot, not the hitting of the hand. There's two actions with the ball going in two different directions. What I see in the replays though is a single action where his left hand is held back and he can't maintain control of the ball and it flies out of bounds -- one action, and one vector for the ball. The right hand is irrelevant. The refs got the call right in real-time, found no reason to reverse themselves in the replay, and the league office saw no reason to second-guess them later. Doc was just wrong on the play but wants to win on a technicality; that's all.