Horford Steps up to clear up this mess!

[WraithSentinel]

I zoom in on that gif as far as I could. I can see it where he may have tip the ball. The keyword here is tip.

[khaos7]

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/409958

The Raptors are still trying to determine when – or if – they'll lodge an official protest over a time-clock incident during a game in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Video evidence suggests referee Eric Lewis inadvertently started the game clock a fraction of a second early, negating a basket by Toronto's T.J. Ford that would have given the Raptors a victory in game they eventually lost in overtime to the Hawks.

But a new wrinkle was thrown into the mix today when Al Horford of the Hawks said he tipped a pass from Carlos Delfino to Ford that would have given the officials reason to start the clock.

And that's now got the Raptors wondering if there is an official protest to be lodged.

"I'm inclined to use as much of the 48 hours (the maximum time allowed after the game for a protest to be lodged) as I can to determine ... whether this is a viable protest," Raptor president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said Thursday afternoon.

Ostensibly, the officials could say they thought Horford tipped the ball, which would have run off enough time to make Ford's basket come after the final buzzer.

A protest on those grounds may not be allowed since teams cannot lodge official protests over judgement calls. The Raptors know it was Lewis who started the clock because game officials have computerized packs attached to their belts which allow them to start and stop the game clock and it was Lewis's that was activated on the play in question.

However, simply physics would suggest that if a player tipped the ball just inside the midcourt line — where Delfino made the pass — far more than one-tenth of second would run off the clock before Ford caught the ball at the basket.

There were 5-10ths of a second left on the game clock when Delfino made the pass and video replays show 4-10ths on the clock when Ford caught the ball about 10 metres away.

The basket would have given Toronto a 109-107 victory in game they eventually lost 127-120 in overtime.

The Raptors, who could have clinched a playoff spot by winning that game, did not dwell on the issue Thursday at practice.

"That's for Bryan to do," said coach Sam Mitchell. "That's not for me to talk to the players about, it's for me to get them ready to play a basketball game tomorrow. Bryan has things that he does, that he focuses on. He takes care of off-the-court stuff, my job is to make sure our players let it go. We have to let it go and move on."

[exodus]

Quote:

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I zoom in on this thing. Watching it very carefully. Raptors fans are saying it is clear he didn't tip it. When I zoom in on it. There can be strong case that Horford did tip it. Some Raptors fans are acting like tip should cause the ball to move 10ft one way or the other.

to blow that gif up to 600%. I saw a post on another board that said when it is blown up you can see the ball hitting Horfords forearm.

[Admin]

It doesn't matter how high you blow it up all it does it give you a more pixelated version of what you can see at 100% which is not enough to tell either way.

[Traceman]

It is OBVIOUS when you blow it up that the ball hit Horford's elbow. I don't know what those Raptors' fans are talking about. It was pure luck that the deflection sent the ball directly to Ford. I don't know why we are still discussing this.

:violin-1: :violin-1:

In addition, when I put my Tivo in extrem slow mo, Ford had the ball in his hands for AT LEAST 5 full seconds before he put it in. It wasn't even close.

[Plainview1981]

You know what I think of the Raptor fans complaining?