When Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield stole an inbound pass with just four seconds left and a 7-point lead over the Boston Celtics, everyone knew the game was over. The Boston players even stopped playing defense and started thinking about the flight home and the bonuses they missed out on by getting knocked out of the NBA In-Season Tournament.
See for yourself: Did Buddy Hield cross the line?
But that didn’t stop Hield from throwing up a corner three, after stopping and checking the clock, to give the Pacers a 10-point margin of victory. It was meaningless to the scoreline, but made a loud statement, and left a sour taste in the mouth of the Celtics.
The NBA In-Season Tournament rewards running up the score
Hield’s buzzer-beater is the latest point of contention in a raging debate about the rules of the NBA In-Season Tournament. During the group stages, if teams are tied in the standings, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results; the second is point differential. With only four group stage games, there is a high likelihood of ties, increasing the importance of running up the score in wins and minimizing the gap in losses.
The Celtics know this better than anyone. On the final night of group play, they found themselves facing a three-way tie with the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets for first place in East Group C and a spot in the quarterfinals. With each team holding one win and one loss against the others, point differential was the deciding factor, and the C’s went all in.
They were up by 30 points in the second half against the Chicago Bulls when they started intentionally fouling Andre Drummond, a poor free throw shooter, in order to get more possessions and run up the score. They faced plenty of criticism after the game, even from their own star Jayson Tatum, but their +27 point differential earned them a spot in the quarterfinals.
It is important to note that once the knockout stage begins, point differential is no longer relevant, since it becomes a single elimination tournament with no ties. While the Celtics ran up the score for a reason, Hield’s shot did not serve a purpose, other than perhaps a karmic jab at Boston coach Joe Mazzulla and his tactics in group play.
Shaq sounds off on Hield’s shot vs Celtics
“So what,” Shaquille O’Neal, former NBA star and TNT analyst, wrote on Instagram in response to Hield’s shot.
His comment received over 13,000 likes, showing that the majority of the fans did not find anything wrong with the Pacers’ controversial shot. Former NFL star Terrell Owens also agreed.
“The game is 48 mins. He chose to play all 48,” another fan wrote.
Pacers advance to semifinals in Las Vegas
There’s no doubt that the Celtics’ group stage antics gave fans less sympathy. But it also shines light on the impact of the NBA’s inaugural cup competition. The rules are catching on, fans understand the stakes, and it is even wiping away the relevance of certain “unwritten rules,” like the idea that Hield should not have put up that final shot.
As much as it may have been a dig at the Celtics, the shot was also a resounding flare for dazzling Indiana. The Pacers advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas with a young, hungry core led by Tyrese Haliburton that is ready to shake up the league, traditions be damned.
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