?It is NBA policy that officials are prevented from seeing the television replay monitors that everyone else analyse, but what if these two moments occured deep in the NBA finals with a championship on the line?? ? RealGM Heads Up. March 24th, 2002.

The above quote was in the main article on RealGM Wiretap back in March of this year after guard Lamond Murray of the Cleveland Cavaliers? shot counted after the clock did not start in a timely manner to defeat the New Jersey Nets.  Only weeks before this there was controversy again, this time the Chicago Bulls? Jalen Rose still had the ball in his hands when the clock clearly read 0.0 on replays in double overtime down in Houston.  It counted giving the Bulls the win.

Saturday night in the first round playoff series between the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets controversy struck once again.  With the scores tied at 92 and only 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock the Hornets game plan was to lob the ball towards the rim and hope for a tip in.  But as the players returned to the court guard Baron Davis decided to change the play, opting for a three point shot which he made.  

Television replays showed that the clock still had 0.2 seconds remaining on it when the ball left Davis? hands, yet official Bernie Fryer waved it off ruling the ball left Davis' hands too late.  Tough call, but what if the Magic ended up defeating the Hornets in overtime after the Hornets had really won the game in regulation?  The Hornets would be down 2-1 in the series and facing elimination.

According to the Charlotte Observer after the mistake everyone from Charlotte coach  Paul Silas to NBA Commissioner David Stern was calling for closer consideration of instant replay.

"In that (Hornets-Magic) situation, with replay, it would have been reversed," Stern told a CBS.Sportsline.com reporter while attending Sunday's San Antonio-Seattle game. "If you're going to go with the clock, you have to go with it."

"It was discussed during the Board of Governors (owners) meeting in April and is going to be raised in accordance with the Board of Governors discussion with the competition committee," he said.

"I think they have to really look at that because on the last-second shot of a quarter or anything of that nature, you have to determine whether it was a legitimate shot or not. And the instant replay is going to show it,? added Silas.  "So at this point it's time to move into the 21st century."

A bizarre twist to the issue came when Fryer explained his decision after the game, stating that he decided before the game that he was not going to allow a shot.  He believed that seven tenths of a second was not long enough for a player to "catch, cock for a three-pointer and let go?.

The NBA rulebook does not specify how much time a player needs to successfully attempt such a shot. However, in what league officials refer to as their "case book" -- a manual of interpretations of various rules -- there is a standard that officials go by.  It allows a shot with at least four-tenths of a second left, but only a lob, requiring just a tap into the basket, with less four-tenths left.

And had the Magic defeated the Hornets in overtime what would have happened?

"That's why we're discussing (instant replay)," Stern said. "Tenths of a second are very difficult for humans to deal with. So we have to come up with an answer."