Grimes just hit a huge and one three (which of course he missed the free throw) and the Garden was absolutely rocking with all momentum on the Knicks side. We go into a 3 minute commercial break to see if Brown stepped into his landing space. The next play IQ contests White at the rim, Boston get a late whistle, and Thibs challenges the call. Another 5 minutes to review the play (which was bullshit, IQ had a clean contest). We finally get a minute of real game time and then we get the KP/iHart scuffle which results in another 5 minute review. By this time, the crowd is completely out of it and the Garden is dead. The game went from extremely hyped to watching the refshow. I don’t understand what the replay center is for if the NBA doesn’t even utilize it. The MLB just implemented the pitch clock and it did wonders to the game. I don’t mind the second challenge rule but we have to find a way to review them faster. I also don’t need Ben Taylor to write a college essay explaining the call to the scorers table and the viewers at home what just happened. Killing the flow of a game to review plays for 5 minutes is hurting the product so much.
The ref show is a huge turn off for the NBA fanbase. Knicks lost the momentum they gained but they ultimately could have won if they just hit a few more of their FTs. What a brickfest from the line.
You’re absolutely right. It’s something I was thinking about watching the end of the game—Knicks-Celtics game ended almost 30 minutes after schedule. Part of the appeal of attending an NBA game is the fact it’s a faster game than other sports. Turning it into a 3 hour event where so much of the time is spent with refs with headsets on is not doing a service for the league.