[Mark Padgett]

I was talking on the phone with a buddy who lives in the Eastern US and is also an official. He told me about a game he just worked last weekend at a summer tourney that had what he called "the strangest ending he ever saw". Considering he's been an official for over 20 years, I couldn't wait to hear about it. The game was HS boys and he said most of the players were incoming sophomores and juniors with just a few incoming seniors.

It was a running clock and team A was up by four with just a few seconds left. B1 inbounded to B2 almost right on the midcourt line and B2 launched a "prayer". Just as he was shooting, A1 ran up behind him and shoved him in the back with both hands. The shot went in! My buddy said his partner, who was trail, signaled an intentional foul. The clock then ran out. They sent B2 to the line to shoot two and he made both of them - a five point play! Team B "went nuckin' futs" (exact quote of my friend).

I had to tell him I would have liked to have been there to see that one.

Anyone have a stranger ending to a game? I had one once almost as strange. I'll post it someday.