Isaiah Thomas on Game 6 game clock error: 'It is what it is'
— -- WALTHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas believes he would have been able to get a better final look at the end of Game 6 with an extra second on the clock but Boston players and coaches ultimately reasoned that there's little use lamenting what could have been.
The NBA admitted in a Last Two Minute report Saturday that the Celtics should have had an extra second on the clock before the final play in the Washington Wizards' 92-91 triumph on Friday. Thomas missed a rushed, off-balance 3-point heave before the final buzzer.
"I could take another dribble. I could have got past [Markieff] Morris, probably. A little bit, got a little bit more separation," Thomas said after Boston's offday practice on Sunday. "It is what it is. We can't worry about that. It just sucks that they came out with it and said we should have had another second."
John Wall hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds to go and, with a foul to give, Washington's Kelly Oubre fouled Kelly Olynyk, which left just 1.7 seconds on the clock.
The league's report noted that Oubre's foul was "whistled with approximately 2.7 seconds on the clock but the clock runs to 1.7 seconds before stopping. The clock should have been stopped earlier automatically on the whistle or by the neutral clock operator."
The league also noted: "Instant replay is not permitted in this situation."
Thomas said he yelled at the officials to check the clock but they did not respond to his pleas.
"Our understanding, from what we've learned, is that they can't check that," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "Maybe I'm wrong there. That's what I was told [Saturday]. Our bench was asking. I was more focused on what's next because I didn't think it was going to get overturned, necessarily. But maybe, as we look at in the future, maybe that is something that we can review.
"Those things happen. Move on. Get ready for [Monday] night."
What might the Celtics have been able to do differently with that second?
"One more dribble. That's what we always think: You get one more dribble per second," said Stevens. "But, again, I don't live that way. That happens."
Added Al Horford: "An extra second would have helped us for sure. Maybe an extra second would do something. But, hey, it wasn't meant to be for us."
Celtics players stressed Sunday that their focus isn't on what happened in the past but making sure they don't leave anything to chance in Game 7. But Saturday's report certainly didn't sit well with them.
"Everybody knew [extra time came off] in the gym," said Jae Crowder. "There's nothing we can do now. I hate those reports, personally."
