Any comments on the play the Spurs pulled on the Lakers the other night? As the Spurs entered their frontcourt with the ball, most of the bench stands and begins to walk on the court. Usually followed by a time out but none was requested and with at least a couple of coaches clearly on the court, the Spur player with the ball continued to the hole for the basket and a foul - three point play. I do HS ball and I am calling a Technical foul. Pro different?

Spurs-Lakers who are they? Oh yeah, that thing on TV they call basketball. Do you actually have to dribble? I literally saw a player in the Boston-Detroit game take two steps, hop, stumble, step, and then pass the ball to a teammate. They replayed it and the announcers called it a great basketball play. I call it bull****. I'm glad the Celtics won, just wish it was a little more enjoyable to watch. Btw, that was a great call on the last second three by the Piston player, very close, great call made instantly. Before you complain, I understand that the NBA refs know exactly what they are supposed to call and choose to let some travels go, but sometimes it's just absurd, they would have to use shock treatment to keep my whistle quiet.

I'm just waiting for an NBA commercial where one of the players says, "I'm not a real basketball player. I just play one on TV." :D

There was a rain delay at indy, and the hockey game was not on yet, so I sacked up and watched a little of the nets -hornets game. Nothing too impressive, way too many missed Ft's, but there was one interesting play. JAson Kidd ran into a guy on the break. The announcers called it a "clear path to the basket" foul. The hornets got a free throw and the ball back.

Does anyone know what this is? Is this the NBA version of the intentional foul? It sounded like if there was no one else in the frontcourt (incidentally, they kept calling it the backcourt), and the defender is not between the offensive player and the ball, it was an automatic "clear path" call if there was a foul.

After 10 minutes or so I remembered by I rarely watch the ballet.

It's exactly what they said, believe it or not. A "clear path to the basket" foul occurs when a player is fouled from behind with no other defensive player between himself and the basket, and the referee judges that the offensive player had a legitimate chance to score on the play. There are other restrictions, as well, but that's the basics. (The play has to originate in the new offensive team's backcourt. The foul has to occur between the top of the free throw circle in the backcourt and the new offensive team's basket.)

The penalty is one shot and possession of the ball.

Chuck

Kelvin, where are you to disagree with this one?