Did we get hosed on the Teague goaltend in OT? Check the video

[Admin]

It looks to me like Teague got to the ball before it hit the glass and my understanding is that on that type of shot until it hits the glass it's not on it's way down and is fair game.

Teague goaltend.wmv

[MaceCase]

If it's a bang bang play it can go either way for refs in realtime. Teague should have laid off it regardless because from the angle of release it looked like the shot had very little chance of converting.

[Admin]

If it's a bang bang play it can go either way for refs in realtime. Teague should have laid off it regardless because from the angle of release it looked like the shot had very little chance of converting.

I'm not faulting the refs as it was definitely a bang bang play, but maybe it should have been reviewed since it was such a key play and was under 2 minutes remaining?

Teague probably shouldn't have tried to block it but by the time the ball was released he was already airborne and may not have been able to really judge whether or not it was going to go in.

[vext]

Yeah, I wasn't sure that it had gone off the backboard when he hit it. I also am not sure that the ball went out of bounds at the end was off Nene. It looked like he pushed the ball out but it went rolled off of Joe's hand. I think there were a couple of other questionable calls that would have benefited us in regulation, but what can you do. Life goes on.

[Admin]

Yeah, I wasn't sure that it had gone off the backboard when he hit it. I also am not sure that the ball went out of bounds at the end was off Nene. It looked like he pushed the ball out but it went rolled off of Joe's hand. I think there were a couple of other questionable calls that would have benefited us in regulation, but what can you do. Life goes on.

The one angle that the Nuggets announcers (who were pretty good I thought BTW) made it look like it touched Joe last but I think that was just the angle used. The main one that the refs focused on was more overhead and looked like they were both touching it at the same time. I guess the point for me here is that they decided to review several plays that looked like they'd benefit the Nuggets but didn't review what I thought was just as important of a play here.

[macdaddy]

I agree they should have reviewed that but i don't know that they would have overturned it even on review. It looks like a goal tend to me.

I want a review of how much air was in the ball on zaza's layup. That thing kicked off the glass like a super ball.

[MaceCase]

I'm not faulting the refs as it was definitely a bang bang play, but maybe it should have been reviewed since it was such a key play and was under 2 minutes remaining?

Teague probably shouldn't have tried to block it but by the time the ball was released he was already airborne and may not have been able to really judge whether or not it was going to go in.

They can't review goaltending or at least I don't think they can because I remember very specifically a month ago LaMarcus Aldridge had cleanly blocked a Russell Westbrook layup on the glass that would tie the game and the refs called it goaltending. They went to review to determine amount of time left on the clock but made no attempt or mention of the blatant clean block that showed up in every replay. Suffice to say, OKC went on to win in OT.

[Admin]

They can't review goaltending or at least I don't think they can because I remember very specifically a month ago LaMarcus Aldridge had cleanly blocked a Russell Westbrook layup on the glass that would tie the game and the refs called it goaltending. They went to review to determine amount of time left on the clock but made no attempt or mention of the blatant clean block that showed up in every replay. Suffice to say, OKC went on to win in OT.

Interesting ... was that play in the final 2 minutes of the game? Did that play happen in Portland or OKC?

That's definitely worth investigating just so we'll know the rules.

[MaceCase]

Interesting ... was that play in the final 2 minutes of the game? Did that play happen in Portland or OKC?

That's definitely worth investigating just so we'll know the rules.

It was the final 2 seconds and in Portland. The Goaltend pretty much tied the game for OT.

[Admin]

It was the final 2 seconds and in Portland. The Goaltend pretty much tied the game for OT.

Dang that was definitely a huge play and being in Portland that's crazy they didn't review that so you must be right about that being a rule. Seems like a pretty dumb rule if that's the case.

Here is an article referring to the game you're talking about. I know this is from BleacherReport but it sounds like it's probably accurate.

Nary had a fortnight after ESPN analysts Tim Welsh and Digger Phelps gone on separate anti-officiating tirades following a missed goaltending call at the end of NCAA hoops' West Virginia vs. Syracuse game on January 28—the exact opposite situation has occurred in the NBA.

On Tuesday, the League confirmed that official Scott Foster's goaltending call at the end of regulation during Monday's Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers game was incorrect: Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge's block had erroneously been ruled goaltending and Thunder forward Kevin Durant improperly credited with a key game-tying layup with just six seconds left in the fourth quarter.

After the controversial call, the Trail Blazers were unable to score a game-winning buzzer-beater and the contest went into overtime. The Thunder would eventually win the game 111-107.

While the West Virginia goaltending no-call prevented overtime and a chance for the Mountaineers to win during the extra period, Monday's incorrect call in Portland effectively turned the Trail Blazers' surefire victory into a tie game to be decided by five minutes of extra basketball that should never have been played.

When asked for comment Monday night, Trail Blazers Coach Nate McMillan observed: "The ref who called [goaltending] was the furthest one from the basket, so that's pretty interesting."

Indeed.

Official mechanics regarding goaltending or basket interference plays at or above rim-height generally place primary responsibility with the slot (center) official, who is located on the opposite side of the floor from the other two officials—usually at or around the free-throw line extended. During this play, that particular official was NBA fill-in official Matt Myers.

Foster was located at the trail position—back near half court—but this does not prohibit Foster from helping out his slot official if he believes that official has missed a call.

Referee Eric Lewis, an eight-year veteran, was located along the end line as the lead—a position that extremely rarely will call goaltending or basket interference.

Though Foster was the senior official while Myers was the rookie on Monday night, the rules bestow equal game calling jurisdiction and capacity to all three officials.

One exception to this equal partners' tenet is if Foster and fellow officials Eric Lewis and Matt Myers had different decisions governing whether to score Durant's field goal or not—for instance, if Foster ruled goaltending while Lewis and Myers both ruled a legal play due to different interpretations of the NBA Rule Book—Rule Two, Section II, Provision H decrees that Foster, as crew chief, has the sole authority to score or disallow a goal if officials disagree over a scoring play.

Regardless of how this particular play was missed, the ramifications of this game-changing call point to an intriguing quandary for the NBA—and for NCAA basketball as well.

At present, both governing bodies prohibit officials from using instant replay to review goaltending calls.

Had Foster been able to consult the monitor on Monday night, he would have seen the legal block and ruled the play an inadvertent whistle—which is resumed via a jump ball.

Even the NBA Office of the Commissioner, the very entity that prohibits officials from using instant replay to review goaltending calls, used instant replay in preparing Tuesday's statement:

"With the benefit of slow motion replay following the game, it has been determined that ... this should have been ruled a good block and goaltending was the incorrect call."

With the NBA itself admitting that instant-replay review allowed the correct call to be made (though a day later), is it finally time to add goaltending a ball that has struck the backboard to plays reviewable by the instant-replay process?

Think about it.

From Foster's position—and even from Myers' vantage point—goaltending in regards to a ball, which may or may not have first struck the backboard is an incredibly difficult call to make. Chances are the defender's hand on the ball that may or may not be on the glass, straight lines the calling official to a point of no-win.

With modern sports' plethora of camera angles—including a camera mounted to the top of or behind the backboard—perhaps it is time to give officials the tools they need to get such close calls right.

The days of Jeffrey Maier-aided home runs are long gone.

We have the video technology to call objective black-and-white plays like goaltending a ball off the backboard, even if subjective grey calls such as contact fouls remain open to interpretation—and the human element.

The NFL and NHL review all scoring plays from the booth or Toronto War Room, respectively, alerting on-field officials (NFL) or video judges (NHL) to any peculiarities.

Perhaps the NBA should employ a similar program: Not for all scores, but for close, black-and-white non-foul plays that occur within the final two minutes or final few possessions of regulation in a close game.

At the very least, goaltending off the backboard should be added to the likes of late-game out-of-bounds calls.

If Foster had made this same goaltending call in the first quarter, no one would have batted an eye at the game's end. It would have been two-extra points for Oklahoma—a call lost in the grand scheme of a full basketball game.

But because of the crucial timing of the goaltending call—six seconds remaining in regulation—it becomes a complete game-changer or as MLB umpire Jim Joyce painfully described his own crucial incorrect perfect game-spoiling safe call in June of 2010, "a history call".

And the most rotten part of a game-changing incorrect call near the end of regulation, from an official's point of view?

As Joyce said, "There's nobody that feels worse than I do."

[MaceCase]

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/10/21/instant-replay/index.html

Yea, according to the NBA, goaltending isn't reviewable.

[Gray Mule]

I know. It's a big if - and it ain't happening, but:

In the NFL, the coaches have 2 "Red Flag" opportunities to have a play reviewed.

The big if: Instead of the tech. call on coach, which saved Josh from getting one,

we could have "Red Flagged" this lack of call on the obvious foul.

Not only did we have a terrible call against Josh, it cost us a free throw and gave

our opponent one, which they made. Clear this one call and Hawks win this game.

Oh, well. NBA doesn't have that option, so we move on.

GO HAWKS!!!