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The biggest controversy in basketball this week had nothing to do with March Madness, Kim Mulkey or the alleged playing habits of the Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter.
Rather, it was a fan shooting contest during Tuesday’s Jazz-Cavaliers game in Salt Lake City, where one contestant initially appeared to win a car only to have his prize revoked amid fan outrage at the Delta Center .
In the end, the unidentified fan left with the promise of an unmarked car, but only after Delta Center officials received a rebuke from Jazz fans, already disgruntled by a losing streak that reached 10. matches on Tuesday.
Spokespeople for the Jazz did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for the make of the car and the identity of its new owner.
What is known is that the Jazz offered one lucky fan the chance to hit three 3-pointers in 30 seconds to win a free car from a local sponsor, Ken Garff Automotive Group.
A Utah Jazz fan wins a car during Tuesday’s game, but only after some initial controversy
The contest took place during a timeout and got off to a promising start.
But while attempting three-pointers from the corner, the participant suddenly froze and missed four shots in a row as time ran down to zero. His penultimate attempt failed completely, leaving him with one last chance to win the car.
Surprisingly, the shot went in after the fan appeared to drop the ball before the final buzzer.
The problem, according to Delta Center MC Mike Goodkind, was that time had expired.
“We talked to the judges and it was after the bell,” Goodkind said.
Goodkind awarded the fan $600, but he and the crowd responded with a chorus of boos.
The fan got 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 a shot before the final buzzer sounded. Unfortunately, the problem was that there was a discrepancy between the buzzer and the actual 30-second shot clock that was being used for the contest.
That’s when a representative for Ken Garff informed the team that the fan could still be given a car despite the controversy.
“Here’s the deal,” Goodkind told the fan during a later stoppage of play. “We’re back here, and after a closer look by Ken Garff, you, my friend, will be taking a car home!”
The Jazz mascot, dressed in a referee jersey, then signaled to score a three-pointer, indicating that the fan would leave with a car.
Meanwhile, the Jazz would lose their tenth consecutive game, falling 129-113 to the Cavs.