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Obviously, the league is touchy about the subject, evidenced by the look on the clock operator's face when I approached him before Game 3.
Not only did he refuse to be interviewed, he refused to even tell me his name.
With all the contentiousness, it's no wonder NBA honcho Joel Litvin released a prepared statement in which he all but said the league will change its replay policy for next season.
"The NBA Competition Committee was scheduled to discuss the possible expanded use of instant replay at its meeting at the end of the month and we will raise, for the Committee's consideration, the use of replay in situations like this," Litvin said.
Why wait until the end of the month? Why do you need some hoity-toity committee to tell you this is an idiotic way of doing things? Why not implement the new rule immediately before another innocent victim gets guillotined by the NBA's medieval way of keeping track of time.
The most amazing part of all this is the league has the technology to correct these mistakes but refuses to use it. Instead of using replay, NBA Commissioner Og Stern and his fellow cavemen want the officials to huddle together and try to estimate in their heads how much time ticked off the clock.
Good grief, I'm surprised the NBA doesn't still keep score with an abacus and use a hammer and chisel to compile stats.
"The referees followed proper procedure in addressing the clock malfunction by estimating the elapsed time and using their judgment as to whether the shot was taken in time," Litvin said. "Under NBA rules, the referees did not have the option of using instant replay. . . ."
Van Gundy pointed out before Game 3 that the incident wasn't just frustrating to the Magic, it was also upsetting to the refs who were forced to use the antiquated rule.
"(Lead official) Steve Javie told me on the court Monday night that with as much technology as we have now, the fact that we can't go over and make sure we get this call right is inexcusable."
But there is a bright side.
At least the Magic have done their part to make sure a situation like this never happens again, right coach?
"The way I look at it," Van Gundy replied with a tortured smile, "we'll probably be the first team under the new rule to have a basket disallowed."
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(c) 2008, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.). Distributed by Mclatchy-Tribune News Service.
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