Oh, Gregg Popovich, you sneaky dog. In the final moments of Dallas’ exciting 113-111 win over San Antonio Friday night, the Spurs needed a desperation, full-court in-bounds play to set up a game-winning or game-tying shot. So, what’s a surefire way to gain an advantage on such a play: put six guys on the court and hope nobody notices. And nobody did, except for Monta Ellis, who, after knocking the pass out of bounds, alerted referees to the violation. The Spurs, knowing the jig was up, casually sent a player off while referees conferred. The Spurs and Mavs now face each other in a Game 7 on Sunday.
Meanwhile, I’m going to take this opportunity to revisit my all-time favorite six men on the court moment. It occurred in Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals between the Houston Rockets and Seattle Supersonics. Houston had the final in-bounds, with a chance to win the game. With the clock winding down, notice Winston Garland casually stroll onto the court off the Rockets’ bench (16:57 mark of the video) and establish himself as an open man. He’s actually engaged in the play, and the refs missed it. Ultimately, the Rockets failed to capitalize on their good fortune, and the Sonics advanced to the conference finals.
[cjzero]
