NBA Considers Partial Instant Replay

The NFL is still voting annually on whether to drop instant replay, but the NBA may become the second pro league to adopt the procedure.

The NBA’s competition committee, meeting here today, will consider instant replay. The plan, however, is to use it only for questions concerning the clock late in the game.

For example, in Game 1 of the Lakers-Houston Rockets series, a key shot by Byron Scott was allowed, the Rockets claimed, after the 24-second clock had expired.

A replay with the game clock superimposed showed that 24 seconds had not elapsed.

“We’ve had about five cases where this would come into play over the course of the last two years,” NBA Vice President Rod Thorn said. “Two, they got right. The other three, they didn’t.”