Referee crew chief Courtney Kirkland, speaking after the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Sacramento Kings game, admitted that Zach LaVine's shot late in the fourth quarter should have been reviewed and not counted.
The Sacramento Kings secured a hard-fought victory against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Sunday, winning 120-113.
Zach LaVine
| Team: |
Sacramento Kings |
| Position: | SG |
| Age: | 30 |
| Height: | 196 cm |
| Weight: | 83 kg |
| Birth place: | Washington, United States of America |
However, the game was not without controversy. Late in the fourth quarter, with 47 seconds remaining, Kings guard Zach LaVine made a left-handed layup with the shot clock already expired, giving Sacramento a 7-point lead, 118-111.
Despite the clear timing issue, the referees did not review the play, and later admitted they had made an error. In a postgame Pool Report interview conducted by Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com, crew chief Courtney Kirkland acknowledged the mistake.
"We made a mistake," Kirkland said. "In real-time, we thought LaVine released the ball before the shot clock expired."
Kirkland further explained that had the referees intended to review the play, it should have been done before the ball was legally touched on the floor following the made basket.
With this win, the Kings boosted their chances of securing a spot in the play-in tournament, improving to a 38-40 record and sitting in ninth place. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, with a 62-16 record, remain comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.
