By JERRY RILES
0.3
That was the most important number between the Chicago Bulls staying undefeated at the United Center or picking up their first loss at home.
Close but no cigar for the Bulls. Very close! I mean it.
The Denver Nuggets defeated Vinny Del Negro’s young squad by a final of 90-89. They fall to 4-3 on the regular season thus far.
But that’s not the story.
Joakim Noah pumped in 12 points and a career high 21 rebounds in the loss, but Brad Miller was the story down the stretch.
After being inserted into the game following a Bulls :20 second timeout, trailing by one just before the end of regulation, it was Miller-time.
The big man took in the inbound pass from teammate Kirk Hinrich, heaved up a desperation shot just inside the three point circle behind the free throw ring, and nailed a jumper as time expired in regulation.
“I thought it was good initially,” the second year coach said. “You can catch it but you have to get it off really quick.”
Miller appeared to do that, and the officials agreed. But after reviewing the tape, they changed their minds and ruled the shot no good.
Del Negro agreed that instant replay is needed and that TV cameras should be there to help decide the outcome of games. He said you definitely want to get the call right.
Like the NFL, the video was inconclusive which means unless it’s an obvious mistake or bad call, the decision should stand, unfortunately, the refs reversed it after reviewing the play anyway. It was too questionable to make a definitive decision. Shame on the refs.
Former NBA star and current Comcast analyst, Kendall Gill said, in the league, officials usually favor the home team on close calls like the Miller play. “The rule of thumb is you have to let it stand just on principle.”
League rules indicate that if there’s less than 0.3 seconds remaining on the clock a basket is ruled good only if the ball is around the cylinder on the inbounds pass. The shooter cannot grab, pivot, and shoot in that amount of time and have the basket count.
In this case the ball wasn’t near the rim, but all the replay video indicated that Miller got the ball off just as the clock hit zero and the horn sounded. The red light came on as the ball left his finger tips.
My question is whatever happened to home court advantage or the tie goes to the runner? Usually on a bang-bang play the offensive player gets the nod. The game officials later said it was a judgment call.
Were the officials wrong in changing their call at the end of the game? Should instant replay decide the outcome of an NBA game? Can the Bulls bounce back from this disappointing defeat?
I think this only enhances their hunger to succeed and thrive in the Eastern Conference.
They take on Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors up in Canada on Wednesday night. Bosh becomes a free agent at the end of the 2009-2010 season.
The Bulls need to continue to play hard and stay hungry if they want to get Bosh or any of the other free agents coming out at the end of the season.
It was close but why over rule a call made on the court? The play could go anyway and it certainly did.
Let’s just hope the Bulls can light that cigar at the end of one of these seasons very, very soon. It should only take 0.3 seconds to do it. Maybe!
(Jerry Riles is a weekly 5on5 contributor featured every Tuesday in the RedEye)
