On December 19th, 2007, the Atlanta Hawks had supposedly defeated a declining Miami Heat team in overtime, 117-111. However, a scorekeeping error had taken Shaquille O'Neal out of the Heat's lineup; his sixth recorded personal foul was actually only his fifth foul. (A previous foul was called on Udonis Haslem but charged to Shaq.) Realizing the error, the Heat protested the game. In turn, Commissioner David Stern acknowledged the mistake and ruled that the final 51.9 seconds of overtime need to be replayed.
Interestingly enough, both the Hawks and the Heat made trades after this game was ruled incomplete. Thus, when they finally do replay the rest of the game on Saturday (March 8th, 2008), several players that had been playing in the game will not be around to finish it. Since O'Neal was one of the players traded, the ruling that was made in his name still does not allow him to re-enter this game. Instead, Stern and league officials have ruled the new acquisitions are eligible for the game's conclusion. Therefore, in the passing of less than 1 minute on the game clock, nearly three months will have passed, two trades will have occurred, and a new outcome could potentially be decided by players who were not even on either roster at the start of the game. Better yet, one of the new players, such as Mike Bibby for the Hawks or Shawn Marion for the Heat, could hit the game-winner . . . in double overtime. Perhaps the TV commercial is correct: perhaps the NBA really is "where amazing happens."
Interestingly enough, both the Hawks and the Heat made trades after this game was ruled incomplete. Thus, when they finally do replay the rest of the game on Saturday (March 8th, 2008), several players that had been playing in the game will not be around to finish it. Since O'Neal was one of the players traded, the ruling that was made in his name still does not allow him to re-enter this game. Instead, Stern and league officials have ruled the new acquisitions are eligible for the game's conclusion. Therefore, in the passing of less than 1 minute on the game clock, nearly three months will have passed, two trades will have occurred, and a new outcome could potentially be decided by players who were not even on either roster at the start of the game. Better yet, one of the new players, such as Mike Bibby for the Hawks or Shawn Marion for the Heat, could hit the game-winner . . . in double overtime. Perhaps the TV commercial is correct: perhaps the NBA really is "where amazing happens."