The Golden State Warriors were struggling in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, trailing by as much as 17 points. However, they went on one of their infamous third-quarter runs to take a lead, with the score currently sitting 83-82 in favor of the Warriors.
The team was locked in before they came to the arena but made a very puzzling observation as shootaround started. The players looked at the rim and believed it wasn’t set to the correct height, being a few inches further up than what it should be.
We have seen rim and basket issues this season before. Luka Doncic discovered mid-game against the Philadelphia 76ers that the rim was crooked, causing a long delay as officials and players tried fixing the rim. Thankfully, the Warriors discovered their issues prior to the game, and the rim height was adjusted after they pointed it out.
Warriors had to stop warming up before Game 3 after noticing the hoop was too high 👀
(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/RdxJy7rN2y
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2022
If the rim is too high up and the players don’t notice it until shootaround, there is something wrong with the players. So much of what players do in the NBA is rooted in muscle memory. They have practiced endlessly from all the scoring spots on the court to have a consistent shot motion for an attempt that will go in regularly.
All these players have put thousands of hours of reps into their shooting motions, especially the Warriors. The rim being slightly off its correct height can be a massive hindrance to offensive players, so it was great that the players snuffed it out.
The TD Garden needs to be more careful with instances like this, as this is an almost unheard-of instance in the modern NBA. The Warriors are now looking to regain home-court advantage with their current lead in Game 3 and try to finish the series off as soon as possible.
