Friday’s NBA Cup game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers was played twice. And the league had the chance to use a new tool to determine whether play would continue.
With the game tied at 123 in overtime, Clippers guard James Harden shot a floater with seconds remaining, but it was blocked by Daniel Gafford. The referees initially ruled the block as goaltender, briefly awarding Los Angeles what would have been the winning two points.
The NBA then used its automated officiating to determine where the ball was in its arc. The league made automated arbitration more widespread this season to improve the accuracy of calls on the field.
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After the NBA’s Court iQ analyzed the shot, it determined that Harden’s floater had not yet reached the top of his arc when Gafford hit it, making it a block and not a goalie. The result sent the game into double overtime.
The Clippers went on to win 133-127 in double overtime, so the call probably didn’t change the final outcome. But it demonstrates the early stages of the arrival of automated officiating in the NBA – and in other professional sports as well, with robot referees ready to join the MLB next season.
Harden finished with a triple-double, totaling 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Clippers veteran guard Bogdan Bogdanović scored 21 points off the bench, including five 3-pointers.
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D’Angelo Russell, who made the game-tying layup in the final minutes of regulation, had 28 points off the bench for Dallas, while forward Naji Marshall had 28 points and eight rebounds as the Mavericks narrowly fell short at home.
