The Portlaoise Panthers basketball club has taken a firm stance against the proposal to replay the final 0.3 seconds of their Division One playoff match against Limerick Sport Eagles. The controversy arose following Limerick’s Jason Killeen being awarded free throws in the remaining 0.3 seconds, resulting in their victory.
After suffering an 80-78 defeat on March 23rd, the Portlaoise Panthers were dissatisfied with the decision to allow the free throws to be taken. They argued that the match had already concluded and the clock had expired, rendering the free throws invalid. This dissatisfaction escalated to a formal appeal for a replay of the entire match, which was initially approved by the National Appeals Committee (NAC).
However, Basketball Ireland later released a statement overturning the decision, ruling that the match would not be replayed in its entirety, but rather the remaining 0.3 seconds would be played at a later date in the week.
The issue revolves around the minimum amount of time required for a team to take a shot after a free throw, commonly known as the Trent Tucker rule. The Portlaoise Panthers clarified that their initial appeal was not based on the 0.3 seconds, but rather on video evidence showing that the final foul was called 1.6 seconds after the buzzer had sounded.
In response to Basketball Ireland’s decision, the Portlaoise Panthers expressed their opposition to playing the final 0.3 seconds, stating that it was never the basis of their appeal. They stressed that the 0.3 seconds was never the grounds for their appeal and that they had followed the correct procedures as laid out by Basketball Ireland.
The club also emphasized that their intention was not to cause disruption for the other clubs involved in the Division 1 playoffs and expressed their reluctance to prolong the issue. They firmly stated that replaying the 0.3 seconds would go against the spirit of basketball and would not be in line with the values of the game.
Furthermore, the Portlaoise Panthers made it clear that they hold Limerick Sport Eagles in high regard and would not expect them to participate in replaying the remaining 0.3 seconds. They concluded their statement by asserting that if instructed to do so, they would refuse to play the final 0.3 seconds.
In conclusion, the dispute continues between the Portlaoise Panthers basketball club and Basketball Ireland over the decision to replay the final 0.3 seconds of the playoff match. The club maintains that their appeal was based on valid video evidence, and they are adamant about their stance against playing the remaining 0.3 seconds in order to uphold the spirit and values of the game.