A high school playoff game just outside of Pittsburgh became a staring contest in the fourth quarter, and the footage will make you a believer that the shot clock is one of the most important inventions of the 20th century.
Holding onto a 50-49 lead with 7:09 left in the game, Mt. Lebanon opted to slow the game down considerably. There is no shot clock in the game, so possessions can theoretically continue until the final buzzer. With that in mind, a Mt. Lebanon guard held the ball near half-court and simply stood there for a full two and a half minutes.
At the end of the clip, some understandably exasperated fans began chanting “this is not basketball.”
The defense eventually pressured the ball-handler as the clock wound down, and the game resumed. Mt. Lebanon held on for a 64-58 win thanks to a perfect 10-for-10 finish from the free-throw line in the final minutes.
Mt. Lebanon coach Joe David defended his strategy after the game, arguing that the opposing team should have tried to stop the stall.
Via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
“If we’re up, we’re going to do what we do. There’s no reason for me to change it because I know those guys are gamers and they’re going to knock their free throws down. It’s the best way for us to win a basketball game. I didn’t plan on holding it, but if you’re going to stand there and let my guy there, I’ll be fine.”
