The Detroit Pistons had what seemed like a comfortable lead late in their game against the Washington Wizards Wednesday night. But, because it’s the Pistons (23-37), and because it’s the Wizards (18-38), anything can happen. Trevor Ariza hit a three pointer to bring the Wizards within three, and after a defensive stop, the Pistons committed a clear path foul, giving the home team two free throws and a final possession to win. The stars were aligning for a late game miracle — and so was Ariza.
The swing man received the ball in the corner and launched what appeared to be a game-winning shot — at least in the eyes of the camera, and Wizards play-by-play man Steve Buckhantz, who went ballistic. That is, until he realized all the Wizards players were slowly walking back towards the bench in a dejected manner. Replays confirmed Ariza’s shot just grazed the net, making for an awkward retraction of the game-winning call. But we can partially forgive Buckhantz, because as we learned last week when rapper Wale descended (or, ascended) upon the visitor’s broadcast booth, the announcers at Verizon Center aren’t at court level — stuck with a view that doesn’t appear to be much better than the one we get on television.
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