LOS ANGELES_Orlando forward Aaron Gordon said he felt "cheated" after the way Wednesday night's game between the Magic and Los Angeles Lakers ended.
He might have a point.
The NBA said the wrong decision was made in the final minute of the game. The Magic should have retained possession in the game's final second, rather than game going to a jump ball, the league said.
With the Lakers leading 108-107, the Magic attempted to inbound the ball for one final shot with 0.6 seconds left. Before anyone inbounds touched the ball, the game clock expired, which meant it had started too early. The play was reviewed by the league's replay center in New Jersey, which determined that a clock malfunction caused the error. By rule, a clock malfunction is solved with a jump ball.
This jump ball, though, effectively eliminated the Magic's chances of getting a shot off to try to win the game.
After the game, referee crew chief Bill Spooner cited the rule regarding clock malfunctions.
In their review a day later, the NBA determined there was no clock malfunction. Rather, the league said, one of the referees inadvertently started the clock early, which should have resulted in the Magic retaining possession.
That scenario is what Magic coach Frank Vogel wanted and what Lakers coach Luke Walton feared.
Walton felt that the Lakers defended the original inbounds play so well that he didn't want Orlando to take another shot at it.
Vogel's perspective referenced fairness.
"I don't know," Vogel said. "It's just common sense would tell me that in that situation, the clock started early, that you do redo the possession."
