Oklahoma City Thunder's Kendrick Perkins was erroneously awarded a basket, NBA admits: NBA Update
NBA has accepted that Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kendrick Perkins was wrongly awarded a basket by the referees in their play-off opener against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. However,
the game was won by Oklahoma with a score of 107-103.
In an official statement, the league said, "Kendrick Perkins was improperly credited with a basket that should have been ruled offensive basket interference with 1:05 remaining in last
night’s game. Although a player is permitted to touch the net while the ball is in the cylinder above the rim, Perkins also touched the ball while it was still in the cylinder which is a violation and constitutes goaltending.”
In a game that was officiated by NBA approved referees; Steve Javie, Zach Zarba and Bill Kennedy, Perkins scored the go-ahead basket with 1:05 minutes remaining in the play. The move was
initiated by Russell Westbrook, who tried a difficult drive-in shot. Westbrook shot struck the rim, but his team-mate centre, Kendrick Perkins, tipped in the ball from beneath the rim to push it into the net.
George Karl, the Nuggets coach immediately raised an objection. He was not alone as many of the Bronchos pointed their fingers at the net, waiting to see the referees disallow the shot
as goal-tending. The referees though deemed no foul-play and did not rule down the shot, which gave the Thunder a 102-101 lead, one from which the Nuggets never recovered and eventually lost the match by 107-103.
Utterly disappointed by the loss, George Karl expressed his reservations about this controversial incident that ultimately cost the Nuggets the first game in a 7-game series.
Karl Said, “Weren't you in shock at the game? I think we were in shock that the call wasn't made, How can three guys (miss it)? We were in shock, I think, that next possession. I'm not
smart enough, when your team's in shock, you're not going to probably have a good possession. I thought the guy was up through the rim. That's how tight he was on the rim.”
While Karl expressed his fury at the unfortunate incident, he also admitted his mistake in not calling a time-out play immediately. Instead, the Nuggets settled to carry on the game and
the result was a Kenyon Martin’s eccentric three point attempt. Russell Westbrook made the Nuggets pay in the ensuing possession, as he buried a jumper to increase the advantage to three.
The Thunder never looked back after that. However, Karl said that he is glad that the NBA has acknowledged the mistake on the part of its official and that it will go a long way in re-assuring
his team in the future game.
The Denver Nuggets qualified into the play-offs by cementing the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They have become a force to reckon with ever since they parted ways with their mercurial
small forward, Carmelo Anthony, in the mid-season trade. Their next encounter with the Oklahoma City Thunder will be on Wednesday night at the Thunder’s home court, the Oklahoma City Arena.
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