Why NBA needs to take page out of WNBA rulebook to fix obviously broken part of replay review system

Everyone is going to remember Luka Doncic’s game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 2 to give the Dallas Mavericks a commanding 2-0 conference finals lead over Minnesota as the series heads to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. What fewer people will remember is what happened 44 seconds earlier, when the Mavericks, trailing by two with 47 seconds to play, were awarded a crucial possession via a replay overturn of an out-of bounds call. 

As it happened, Minnesota was initially awarded possession, but Dallas challenged the ruling, contending that the ball was last touched by Jaden McDaniels. Dallas won the challenge as the ball had indeed gone off McDaniels last, but the missing context is that Kyrie Irving clearly fouled McDaniels, slapping down on his forearm to dislodge the ball off McDaniels’ fingertips and out of bounds. 

Here, see for yourself.

OK, so Irving clearly fouled McDaniels, but that’s not reviewable given that it wasn’t the original call on the court. The letter of the law states that the only action that can be reviewed is who actually touched the ball last, as that was the call in dispute. Irving could have taken a hatchet to McDaniels’ arm and if the ball last trickled off of McDaniels’ bloody nerve endings, well, tough luck. Dallas ball. 

Here’s the pool report with crew chief Zach Zarba from Friday night:

QUESTION: During the review that resulted in the turnover on Jaden McDaniels late in the game can you explain if you also saw a foul that should have been called at that point?

ZARBA: During the game we felt it was a normal out of bounds play and that’s what was ruled. Obviously, it gets challenged and the replay center overturns it because it last touched McDaniels. Postgame review we did see illegal contact from (Kyrie) Irving to the forearm of McDaniels that should have been called a foul.

QUESTION: Just to clarify now, at that point Dallas has challenged the play, there is no way Minnesota can then challenge that call to say the ball went out of bounds because he got fouled?

ZARBA: Correct. Per NBA rules you…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/why-nba-needs-to-take-page-out-of-wnba-rulebook-to-fix-obviously-broken-part-of-replay-review-system/

Author : Brad Botkin

Publish date : 2024-05-25 22:01:30

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