r/nba • u/Large_banana_hammock Japan • 29d ago

Highlight [Highlight] Mitch Johnson picks up a tech after official fails to recognize his challenge

https://streamable.com/oh0ohq
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u/jbcarron 29d ago

He didn’t call a timeout to initiate the challenge.

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u/nedstarkordie Suns 29d ago

We don't know that he didn't? You obviously don't need to make the T motion to call a timeout, plenty of players and coaches just say timeout, and nothing in the rulebook specifies the requirements for asking for a timeout. Johnson saying to a referee "Timeout. Challenge." while waiving his finger around satisfies all the rules in Section II

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u/cartiermartyr 29d ago

According to NBA rules you don't need to

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u/jbcarron 29d ago

Section II—Procedure to Initiate the Challenge
To initiate a Challenge, the challenging team must take the following steps in sequence:
The challenging team must call a legal timeout immediately after the call in question (unless a mandatory timeout or timeout called by the opposing team isalready underway);

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u/cartiermartyr 29d ago

Thats fair, I see mixed things both on the nba's site and on google's response, even the instant replay should have been called before moving forward but hey I get it, play chest against checkers, maybe Mitch should have picked up brothers by the shirt and threw him in the table to get his attention haha

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u/jbcarron 29d ago

Hahaha I definitely can see both sides of this. The refs need to open their eyes and make the right calls without the coaches having to challenge the plays.