Toronto Raptors to Protest Loss to Atlanta Hawks

There’s no disputing the call on T.J. Ford’s almost buzzer-beating layup that would have won the game for the Raptors in regulation; the ball didn’t leave his hands until after the game clock had expired.

But there was a lengthy discussion in the Raptors’ locker room after the Hawks’ 127-120 overtime victory about the clock starting early on Ford’s layup attempt. TV replays clearly showed that the clock started before Ford caught the ball in mid-air and began stretching for the basket.

The Hawks’ official scorer was at fault for the error in the Miami game. But the culprit Wednesday was one of the game officials, Eric Lewis, who started the clock with a mechanism on his belt.

"It could have gone either way," Ford said. "I didn’t get too excited." [AJC.com]