(Shanghai Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-13 13:41

For the first time since 1982, the NBA is sending two teams back to the court for a do-over.

The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat must replay the final 51.9 seconds of their game last month because the official scorer ruled incorrectly that Shaquille O'Neal fouled out, the league said on Friday.

The Hawks won 117-111 at home in overtime on Dec. 19, 2007, but strike that one from the books. For now, playoff-contending Atlanta has one less win, while the Heat have one less loss on their hapless record.

"We're human. We make mistakes," Hawks owner Michael Gearon said.

"There certainly wasn't anything malicious about it. We have one of the most senior scoring staffs in the league. They're good. It happened. There's not much we can do about it."

Making it a truly miserable day: Atlanta followed up commissioner David Stern's decision by losing to Washington 102-98 in overtime.

The NBA said the replay will be held before Miami's next visit to Atlanta on March 8. Play will start from the time after O'Neal's disputed sixth foul, with the Hawks leading 114-111.

"Wait a minute! I picked up a win today, or lost a loss," Heat coach Pat Riley quipped in New Orleans before a 114-88 loss to the Hornets. "I can wake up tomorrow knowing there's one less loss."

The Hawks also were fined US$50,000, with Stern ruling the team was "grossly negligent" in failing to address the mistake.

The protest is the first granted by the NBA since December 1982, when then-NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien upheld a request for a replay by the San Antonio Spurs after their 137-132 double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers the previous month.

The Spurs and Lakers finally finished the game in April 1983, with San Antonio winning 117-114.