The biggest controversy in basketball this week had nothing to do with March Madness, Kim Mulkey or the alleged gambling habits of Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors.
Rather, it was a fan shooting contest during Tuesday’s Jazz-Cavaliers game in Salt Lake City, where one participant initially appeared to win a car but had his prize rescinded amid outrage among fans at the Delta Center.
Ultimately, the unidentified fan walked away with the promise of an unidentified car, but only after Delta Center officials got a sympathetic ear from Jazz fans, already disgruntled by a 10-game losing streak Tuesday.
Jazz spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for the make of the car and the identity of the new owner.
What is known is that the Jazz offered one lucky fan the chance to hit three three-pointers in 30 seconds to win a free car from a local sponsor, the Ken Garff Automotive Group.
Utah Jazz fans will win a car during Tuesday’s game, but only after some initial controversy
The match took place during a timeout and got off to a promising start.
But while attempting a three-pointer from the corner, the competitor suddenly went cold and missed four shots in a row as the time dwindled to zero. His penultimate attempt failed to fully pull the iron, giving him one last chance to win the car.
Remarkably, the shot went in after the fan appeared to release the ball before the final buzzer.
The problem, according to Delta Center MC Mike Goodkind, was that time had passed.
“We talked to the judges, and it was after the buzzer,” Goodkind said.
Goodkind awarded the fan $600, but he and the crowd responded with a chorus of boos.
The fan got away with a new car, but only after the Jazz MC corrected the judge’s ruling
As team officials told The Salt Lake Tribune, the fan did indeed fire the shot before the final buzzer. Unfortunately, the problem was that there was a discrepancy between the buzzer and the actual 30-second shot clock used for the game.
At that time, a representative for Ken Garff informed the team that the fan could still get a car despite the controversy.
“Here’s the deal,” Goodkind told the fan during a later stoppage in play. “We’re here again, and after further review by Ken Garff, you, my friend, are taking home a car!”
Confusingly, the Jazz mascot, wearing a referee shirt, raised his arms to signal a touchdown.
Either way, the message was clear: the fan had won a car.
The Jazz, meanwhile, would lose their 10th straight, falling 129-113 to the Cavs.