Non-review of clock slights Suns in final seconds of loss to Jazz
Oct 28, 2019, 10:16 PM | Updated: Oct 30, 2019, 3:51 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks at the officials after an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in Phoenix. The Jazz won 96-95. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
The Phoenix Suns lost to the Utah Jazz 96-95 on Monday night but not without a controversial ending.
With less than eight seconds remaining in the game, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell drove down the lane in an attempt for the game-winner.
But Devin Booker fouled Mitchell in the act of shooting with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
However, after taking a look at the replay, it appears that there should have been at least a full second left, as the home clock operator is supposed to stop the clock upon the referee’s whistle.
You be the judge.
Rare that the hometown clock operator screws their own team, but there should’ve been more time on the clock left. Maybe even a full second, and PHX had a time out, too. Very strange the refs didn’t review. pic.twitter.com/s74gkgdkt6
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) October 29, 2019
“I have to be more clear on that. It’s one of those situations where maybe I could have,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said when asked if he could have challenged.
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“That’s a tough one. I was talking to (referee) Tony Brown the whole time like, ‘At least look at it. It’s the last two minutes.’ We always talk about getting a call right. Just thought we got dealt a tough one.”
Adding to the oddity is the fact that the referees didn’t even review the play.
The Suns still had one timeout remaining that Williams could have used to draw up a final attempt to tie or even win the game at the buzzer.
Mitchell would go on to make the first free throw but missed the second so that Phoenix wouldn’t have enough time to get the rebound and heave a last-second shot.
“We looked at it. We felt like it was at least 1.8 on the clock and I tried to get them to look at it,” Williams said.
“We look at all kinds of stuff, flagrant fouls, pushing and shoving the whole game, but then a pivotal point in the game and we don’t even review it. I have to talk to the league about that because I just felt like we needed to at least look at it and see how much time we had — 1.8, that’s a lot of time. It could be 1.4. You only need 0.4 to get a catch-and-shoot off.”
