How many individuals does it take to repair a basketball hoop?
That was the query NBA followers have been asking on Monday (AEDT) when the sport between the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics was delayed by 40 minutes due to a crooked hoop.
It was a much-anticipated conflict between the 2 No. 1 seeds within the western and japanese conferences approaching the midway mark of the season.
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The Nuggets led 110-97 halfway via the fourth quarter when Celtics massive man Robert Williams III accomplished a reasonably regulation two-handed dunk.
Williams hung off the ring with for a number of moments, however play continued for a few minutes till it was identified that the rim was barely lopsided.
Two ladders have been introduced out onto the court docket and a tradie’s leveller you’d often see at a development website was even placed on high of the rim to test it was flat.
The hoop couldn’t be straightened out so after an agonising wait, a brand new hoop was introduced out, however even there was even some issue maintaining the alternative hoop degree.
NBA hoops have been strengthened because the days of Shaquille O’Neal breaking a number of backboards with slam dunks and followers couldn’t consider there was such an extended break in play over a comparatively innocuous dunk.
Star Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown weren’t impressed with how the scenario was dealt with.
“It was just weird,” Taytum mentioned.
“I don’t know exactly how long we waited but nobody expected it to be that long. We got two-and-a-half minutes to warm up.”
Brown mentioned: “They spent all that time trying to fix it but when we came back it still looked like it wasn’t even level.
“It just wasted all that time. It has an effect on the game. That’s how injuries happen. Luckily that didn’t happen but that wasn’t good.
“The whole process was handled poorly in my opinion.”
When the sport ultimately resumed, the Nuggets closed out a 123-11 win to maintain high spot within the western convention standings.
Two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic had one other triple double with 30 factors, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Jokic made 10-of-13 photographs from the ground, together with each 3-point makes an attempt, and went 8-for-8 from the free throw line to supply his ninth triple double of the season.
The Nuggets improved to 24-12, stretching their Western Conference result in one sport with a tenth win in 12 contests and snapping Boston’s four-game win streak.
With AFP
