Euroleague Basketball official report on Game 3 of the Playoffs

Following speculation surrounding several plays that happened during Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoff Games 3, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Panathinaikos Aktor Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus vs. FC Barcelona, played on April 30, 2024, Euroleague Basketball’s findings are:

MACCABI PLAYTIKA TEL AVIV – PANATHINAIKOS AKTOR ATHENS

FOURTH QUARTER (00:57:00)

With 57.0 seconds remaining in the last quarter, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv player Josh Nebo grabs an offensive rebound after Antonius Cleveland missed a shot. Josh Nebo, with the ball possession, runs to one of the court corners and throws the ball toward Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens player Mathias Lessort. The ball is reflected by Mathias Lessort body, resulting in an out of bounds call in favor of Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv. After having reviewed all available images there is no conclusive evidence showing that Josh Nebo steps on the endline, as his heel might be lifted from the floor and the camera angle does not show an opposite view.

FOURTH QUARTER (00:14:09)

With 14.9 seconds remaining of the last quarter Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv player Lorenzo Brown drives to the basket and attempts a field goal when Panathinaikos Aktor Athens player Mathias Lessort attempts to block the shot.

The center referee calls a goaltending violation when the game clock shows 0:14.9 of the fourth quarter. As this situation takes place in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, this is a reviewable situation by the officials. The officials review the play in the instant replay system, and upon review they determine that the blocked shot was legal. Correct decision.

According to the EB Adapted rules and EB Case Book when a goaltending or basket interference violation is called that is then reviewed by use of the IRS and the decision is overturned, if neither team had gained immediate and clear control of the ball when the violation was called, the game will be restarted with a jump ball at the circle closest to where the violation occurred.

In order to resume the game, the officials review the play and prior to the potential rebound after the legal block shot, the ball touches the ring. Correct decision.

According to article, 50.4 of the FIBA Official Basketball Rules (OBR), the shot clock operator shall stop and reset to 14 seconds, with 14 seconds visible, when:

·         After the ball has touched the ring on an unsuccessful shot for a goal […] if the team which regains control of the ball is the same team that was in control of the ball before the ball touched the ring.

According to article 49.2 of the FIBA OBR, the timer shall start the game clock when:

o   During a jump ball, the ball is legally tapped by a jumper.

According to article 50.1 of the FIBA OBR, the shot clock operator shall start the device when on the court a team gains control of a live ball.

After this, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv player Josh Nebo and Panathinaikos Aktor Athens player Mathias Lessort jump for the ball and Nebo taps it in direction to Bonzie Colson who gains control of the ball when the game clocks shows 0:14 seconds. After a few seconds of possession, there is a call for a foul on Jerian Grant who makes contact with Lorenzo Brown when the game clock shows 5.9 seconds.

The reset of the shot clock is correct, as well as the restart of the game clock when the ball was tapped, and as there were 14 seconds or less remaining in game clock, the shot clock operator proceeds correctly in switching off the shot clock device (Art. 50.5 of FIBA OBR).

OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS – FC BARCELONA

FOURTH QUARTER (00:16.3)

With 16.3 seconds remaining until the end of the fourth quarter, the time that FC Barcelona player Tomas Satoransky has the ball in his hands before inbounding it exceeds the 5 seconds limit (FIBA OBR – Art. 17.3.1 The player taking the throw-in shall not take more than 5 seconds to release the ball). The referees should have called a 5 second violation resulting on possession for Olympiacos Piraeus. Incorrect no call.

OVERTIME (00:01:00)

With 1.0 second remaining in overtime, defender player Filip Petrusev contacts with his left hand the arm of Jabari Parker when he begins the upward motion that precedes the shot. The referees called a foul. Correct call.

According to the IRS regulations, this situation is reviewable under article 00:00 Game Clock, 2.2 Foul before expiration of time:

A foul called with no time remaining on the game clock (00:00) at the end of any quarter or any overtime. The referees will review the footage to determine the following issue only: whether the foul that was called occurred prior to the illumination of the red LED lights (signaling the end of playing time).

The referees will be permitted to utilize instant replay to determine whether (and how much) time should be put on the game clock but only when it is confirmed through replay that a foul was called prior to the illumination of the red LED lights (signaling the end of playing time).

Prior to resuming the game, the referees made the clock adjustment to 0.05 as this is the moment when the illegal contact occurred.