Williams’ 3-pointer caps frenetic finish
Officials’ mistake costs Wizards in final seconds
LOS ANGELES — The way things have been going for the struggling Clippers, it figures a wild finish involving an arcane clock rule would be the way they'd finally win again.
Lou Williams hit a go-ahead pull-up 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining, lifting Los Angeles to a 113-112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday to end a fourgame skid.
“Nothing has been easy,” coach Doc Rivers said. With Bradley Beal guarding him, Williams unleashed the winner from the top of the key, capping a wild final 12 seconds in which both teams traded leads on clutch plays. “I made a move and Bradley bit on it,” Williams said. “I was able to pull up with one dribble. If I go left, I like my chances.”
After Williams' basket, the Wizards called a timeout.
They inbounded the ball on the sideline with 1.2 seconds left and Beal hit the potential winning baseline jumper, which was waived off because the game clock started a couple tenths of a second too soon.
After a video review, the referees decided to give Washington possession for a replay, except the Wizards inbounded in the left corner with 1.1 seconds on the clock. Marcin Gortat's jumper bounced off the rim as time expired.
Crew chief Bill Spooner told a pool reporter after the game that the referees incorrectly reset the shot clock to 1.1 seconds instead of 0.1. TV: Radio: Spooner said the location of the inbounds changed to the point of interruption where Beal caught the ball.
“We had a clock malfunction, early start,” Spooner said in a statement. “The time that they lost was 1.1. With an inbounds at 1.2 that leaves, mathematically, 0.1 and that should have been where we reset it. We actually made the mistake in their favor if you will, and reset it at 1.1.”