NBA To Introduce Last-Second Shot Clock

NEW YORK—In a move intended to create some semblance of excitement and add dramatic finishes to every game, NBA commissioner David Stern announced Monday that the league would implement a last-second shot clock during the 2009–2010 season to ensure all games end on a nail-biting buzzer-beater. “Our research indicates that last-second shots are popular, fun to watch, and increase the perception of close competition in basketball,” Stern said. “Therefore, a clock with a single second remaining will be placed in every arena, where it will increase tension throughout the contest. It will only begin to count down when the last player with the ball takes his final shot at the end of regulation. If he makes the shot, his team will win.” The league is also considering adding a 24-second traveling clock for the 2010 season.