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NBA Playoffs 2014: Raptors blame ESPN for broken shot clocks in Game 1

By Josh Hill

Apr 19, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots with the 24-second shot clock not functioning during the game against the Brooklyn Nets in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Nets beat the Raptors 94-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots with the 24-second shot clock not functioning during the game against the Brooklyn Nets in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Nets beat the Raptors 94-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 19, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots with the 24-second shot clock not functioning during the game against the Brooklyn Nets in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Nets beat the Raptors 94-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots with the 24-second shot clock not functioning during the game against the Brooklyn Nets in game one during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. The Nets beat the Raptors 94-87. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

One of the mote interesting aspects of the Game 1 showdown between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors was not anything that happened with either team, it was what happened with the shot clocks in the middle of the game. The shot clocks malfunctioned and stopped working midway through the game on Saturday which forced the Raptors PA to announce the shot clock from a stopwatch.

But before you go blaming the Air Canada Centre for this mishap, they’re already pointing the finger at ESPN for causing the malfunction.

Per USA Today:

"ESPN caused the shot clocks to malfunction during Game 1 Saturday between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre when it tried to solve an internal issue by plugging into the same power source for the shot clocks, causing the power source to fry, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports."

This isn’t the first time a circuit has been overloaded to the point where technical difficulties overtake a game. Last year in New Orleans the lights literally went out on the Super Bowl and this weekend the shot clocks went out in Canada.

There was once a time when overloaded circuits meant colored bars on your television but it appears that cable outlets have become so powerful that the games themselves are disrupted and not the broadcast of them.

[H/T: TheBigLead]

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