I wrote last night that the hardest thing to do in professional sports is to hit a major league fastball.  I think I'm starting to change my mind.

In the last three playoff games I've watched, which coincidentally also happen to be the last three games TNT has aired, I've witnessed three separate, errant inbound passes that either cost or could have cost their team the game.

Dateline Monday night...  Spurs led the Mavericks by a point with possession of the basketball and thirty seconds remaining on the game clock.  Brent Barry was slated to safely inbound the ball to a teammate, who would most likely be fouled and sent to the free throw line to give the Spurs a three-point lead.  Instead, Barry's errant pass bounced off Michael Finley's fingers allowing the Mavericks to eventually win the game.

Once again, on Tuesday night, the New Jersey Nets placed the ball in the hands of point guard Jason Kidd, who was unable to complete the pass to Vince Carter, allowing Dwayne Wade to sneak in and knock the ball away.

In Tuesday's late game, the Clippers had an opportunity to win the game by inbounding the ball deep into Elton Brand.  Instead, the pass sailed out of bounds, ensuring that the clock did not start and allowing the Suns one last look at an open basket.

Now certainly it's not only the inbounder's responsibilty to make a good pass.  Inbounding the basketball also requires the player receiving the pass to establish position, as he would in the post, thus keeping the defender away from the ball.  Vince Carter failed to do this.  Elton Brand never had a chance.  And the only thing defending Michal Finley was the sideline, and we all know the sideline never misses a tackle.

So instead of NBA head coaches forcing their roster to shoot jumpers and free throws until nightfall, perhaps they should look at the lost art of inbounding the basketball.  It just might come in handy one day.

 

Someone once said that the hardest thing to do in professional sports is to hit a major league fastball... but apparently for Brent Barry, it's inbounding the basketball with his team's season on the line. With under a minute left and a one-point San Antonio lead, Barry attempted misguidedly to inbound the ball to Michael Finley.... WITH A WIDE OPEN TONY PARKER AT MID-COURT!!! Instead, Barry threw an ill-advised, errant pass off of Finley's fingertips along the right sideline and out of bounds, keeping Dallas' chances alive.

Barry also had the ball stolen from him in overtime, leading to a Jerry Stackhouse lay-up. The emotion of the crowd, a few favorable calls and a slashing Devin Harris were all simply too much for the Spurs to overcome as Dallas went on to win the game in overtime.

Barry will be replaying that pass over and over in his head tonight, as his team is now down three games to one, and faces their first early elimination in years.