Game 1 of the Toronto Raptors-Brooklyn Nets proved to be a raucous one, especially when the shot clocks malfunctioned midway through the third quarter that forced the PA guy to announce when there was 10 seconds remaining and perform a full countdown from the five-second mark.
According to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Air Canada Centre where the Raptors play, the stadium experienced a signal path failure. In a statement quoted by NY Daily News, the firm added: "Our backup system for the temporary shot clocks relied on the same source. New cables will be run (Saturday night) and Sunday to ensure no issues arise Tuesday (in Game 2) and the NBA will inspect both the fixed and backup systems before Game 2."
As a contingency, the Raptors had their PA man Herbie Kuhn announcing that the shot clock was down to 10 seconds before making a full-countdown starting at five seconds then saying "horn!" to indicate that the shot clock had expired.
The goofy scene lasted for nearly 18 minutes, or until the Nets escaped with a 94-87 win.
Said Nets guard Shaun Livingston, via NY Daily News: "That was weird. It's like backyard, somebody calling it out. But we got used to it. The conditions were going to be rough, being on the road. But it was just another factor we had to deal with, just the reality of the situation."
His teammate, Alan Anderson, shared that he had gone through worse situations overseas particularly in Europe when the shot clock would be cut off and the countdown was in another language.
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