By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague Basketball released an announcement regarding the protest that Panathinaikos filed over the loss to Olimpia Milano, Friday (21/12).
According to the announcement/report, findings by EuroLeague Basketball show that the referees made the correct decisions during the moments for which Panathinaikos protested and the game clock “correctly continued to run down.”
Per EuroLeague:
Following speculation surrounding the game clock not being stopped following a field goal being scored during the fourth quarter of the Panathinaikos OPAP Athens-AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan game played on December 21 2018, Euroleague Basketball’s findings are:
In the fourth quarter with 2:01 left on the game clock, Nick Calathes of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens scored a field goal. As per Article 16.1.1. (Goal: When made and its value) of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2018:
A goal is made when a live ball enters the basket from above and remains within or passes through the basket entirely.
As per Article 49.2. (Timer: Duties) of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2018:
The timer shall measure playing time as follows:
Starting the game clock when:
· During a jump ball, the ball is legally tapped by a jumper.
· After an unsuccessful last free throw and the ball continues to be live, the ball touches or is touched by a player on the playing court.
· During a throw-in, the ball touches or is legally touched by a player on the playing court.
Stopping the game clock when:
· Time expires at the end of a quarter and overtime, if not stopped automatically by the game clock itself.
· An official blows his whistle while the ball is live.
· A field goal is scored against a team which has requested a time-out.
· A field goal is scored when the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the fourth quarter and in each overtime.
· The shot clock signal sounds while a team is in control of the ball.
Therefore the game clock correctly continued to run down, given that the ball passed through the basket entirely (cleared the net) with 2:01 left on the game clock. The ball then ricocheted off Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Nick Calathes of Panathinaikos OPAP Athens. Jeff Brooks of AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan was positioned behind the endline ready to administer the throw-in, however as the ball was rolling away from him, the referee picked the ball up. As per Article 17.3.3. (Throw-in) of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2018:
When the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the fourth quarter and in each overtime, and there is a throw-in, the official shall use an illegal boundary line crossing signal as a warning while administering the throw-in.
If a defensive player:
Moves any part of his body over the boundary line to interfere with a throw-in, or
Is closer than 1 m to the player taking the throw-in when the throw-in place has less than 2 m distance, it is a violation and shall lead to a technical foul.
Therefore the referee correctly made the illegal boundary line crossing on a throw-in warning signal, then passed the ball to Jeff Brooks for him to take the throw-in. The 5 second count started when the ball was at the disposal of the player therefore with 1:51 left on the game clock. The ball was passed to Curtis Jerrells of AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan with 1:50 left on the game clock who commenced to dribble. As per Article 47.2. (Officials: Duties and powers) of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules 2018:
The officials shall blow their whistles when an infraction of the rules occurs, a quarter or overtime ends or the officials find it necessary to stop the game. The officials shall not blow their whistles after a successful field goal, a successful free throw or when the ball becomes live.
Therefore with 1:48 left on the game clock and 22 seconds left on the shot clock the referee correctly blew his whistle as he found it necessary to stop the game. As per Article 4.1. of the 2018-19 EuroLeague Bylaws Appendix X Instant Replay:
An error/malfunction occurs in the game clock and it does not start/stop correctly at any time in the game before or after the ball is in play. The referees will review the footage to determine the following issues only: how much time actually expired and how much time (if any) is remaining in the quarter or overtime.
Immediately following the moment the ball passed through the basket entirely with 2:01 left on the game clock the referees wished to verify whether or not an error / malfunction had occurred with the game clock. After performing the replay review, the referees were able to verify that no error / malfunction had occurred. The game was correctly resumed with a throw-in taken by Vladimir Micov of AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milan from the sideline nearest where the game was stopped, with 1:48 left on the game clock and 22 seconds left on the shot clock.