[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

No game clock issue here. B1 is closely guarding point guard A1. A1, from behind his three point line, attempts to pass to post player A2. Pass hits B1, also standing behind Team A's three point line, on his shoulder and bounces into the air, ball enters Team A's basket from above, never having hit the floor, or any other player.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Two. The thrown ball had no chance to enter the basket on its own prior to the deflection off the defender’s shoulder.

5.2.1 SITUATION C: A1 throws the ball from behind the three-point line. The ball is legally touched by: (a) B1 who is in the three-point area ... The ball continues in flight and goes through A's basket. RULING: In (a) three points are scored since the legal touching was by the defense and the ball was thrown from behind the three-point line.

When the three point line was first painted on the court, Nevadaref may have been correct, if fact, if the official ruled it was a pass and not a try and if the pass went directly into the basket, never touching anybody else, it was only two points. That interpretation was quickly changed.

5.2.1 SITUATION B: With 2:45 left in the second quarter, B1 has the ball on the left wing in Team B's frontcourt, standing behind the three-point arc. B5 makes a backdoor cut toward the basket. B1 passes the ball toward the ring and B5 leaps for the potential "alley-oop" dunk. The ball, however, enters and passes through the goal directly from B1's pass and is not touched by B5. RULING: Score three points for Team B. A ball that is thrown into a team's own goal from behind the three-point arc scores three points, regardless of whether the thrown ball was an actual try for goal.

Now try the extra credit question:

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Extra credit. No game clock issue here. Point guard A1, from behind his three point line, attempts to pass to post player A2. Pass hits B1, standing inside Team A's three point line at the elbow, on his shoulder and bounces into the air, ball enters Team A's basket from above, never having hit the floor, or any other player. How many points?