We went over the big NBA Finals overtime tussle ‘tween the Lakers and Magic in pretty detailed fashion this morning, but this photo warrants a little more discussion, IMHO. Yes, it’s time once again to play America’s favorite game show, “Is That Goaltending?”
Sunday’s contestants — Courtney Lee of the Magic and Pau Gasol of the Lakers, the latter caught dipping his hand in the cookie jar on this layup attempt with 0.6 seconds left. Goaltending, or just an innocent rim massage? You be the judge.
From THE WORLD OF ISAAC:
I actually don’t care who wins this series. And there have been some terrible calls back and forth….
But last I checked, you weren’t allowed to stick your hand through the rim to try and block a shot….
Yeah, even if it didn’t alter the shot, I’m pretty sure sticking your hand up through the rim, grabbing it and hanging on the net cords — while the ball is still in the upward portion of its arc — is goaltending. Not being sarcastic here; I’m not exactly certain of the rule. But if it is illegal, it just proves once again that basketball, especially at the NBA level, is virtually impossible to officiate with any degree of consistency. The thing that bugs me most about watching the NBA playoffs is how just about every game is pretty much decided on which way the officiating wind blows.
That’s not to say that the officials aren’t doing the best they can. But a good example came on Hedo Turkoglu’s leaning shot that went in for the Magic with about three minutes remaining in regulation, but was waved off as he was called for an offensive foul. Replays seemed to show that the contact was negligible; it should have been a no-call. But how does an official judge something like that? It’s impossible; he has to guess.
Our photo above seems a bit more more clear cut, however.
Wait, did I say that the officiating is what bugs me most about the playoffs? As the horrifying photo below suggests, I stand corrected.
2:07 pm on June 8th, 2009
It wasn't goaltending earlier in the night when Howard blocked a shot by putting his hand through the hoop…..
2:22 pm on June 8th, 2009
First Orlandosentinel.com and now your website…. Unbelievable. Let's go over this again, you can't honestly report this story and not mention Dwight Howard blocking Pau Gasol shot with his arm swatting the ball when it was through the rim….. I just wonder if Howard's "blocked" shot would have been harped on if Orlando won that game. Probably not.
2:25 pm on June 8th, 2009
Here's a better angle of the alleged goaltend:
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c506253ef011570d4185b970b-300wi
2:48 pm on June 8th, 2009
RULE NO. 11-BASKETBALL INTERFERENCE-GOALTENDING
A Player Shall Not:
i. Vibrate the rim or backboard so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce.
I am rooting like hell for the Lakers to lose - but this wasn't goaltending. The rim barely moved when Gasol grazed it (if at all). The rim moved far more when the ball hit it on the way down.
4:01 pm on June 8th, 2009
Looks like the refs were just evening it up
4:30 pm on June 8th, 2009
you are a Homer
7:38 pm on June 8th, 2009
yah dwight stuck his hand through the net earlier. they cant make up for a bad call earlier when the shot in question is a game winner what guide lines are there for the refs………..
8:45 pm on June 8th, 2009
Notice how Gasol never touched the ball however Howard put his hand all the way through the rim and blocked Gasol's shot.
10:56 pm on June 8th, 2009
Not only is this NOT goaltending, the clock didn't start as soon as Lee touched the ball. Howard on the other hand did goaltend…tell you what…give L.A. the two points from the Howard goaltend and Orlando the two from the Gasol goaltend and call it even. Let it go, Orlando lost, L.A. won…the refs do leave alot to be desired but this phantom goaltend people are crying about didn't decide the game, Lee just missed the gift of a shot he was given and L.A. took over after.
11:09 pm on June 8th, 2009
Damn you got a lot of LA fans here…
5:58 am on June 9th, 2009
The bottom line is that Orlando probably wouldn't have been in the situation they were if they hadn't missed 5 free-throws in a row in the 4th quarter.
Also…….if they had hit one more of the 30+3 pointer they attempted, Courtney Lee's miss would be rendered moot.
11:37 am on June 9th, 2009
I focus more on the two uncalled fouls Kobe committed against Lee on the last play than whether Gasol's brush of the rim was goaltending!