Jae Crowder Rebound Prop Goes Under After Controversial Statistical Ruling

A meaningless play in the grand scheme of the game? Yes. But don't tell prop bettors that a rebound between Jae Crowder and Chris Paul with under two minutes left in a game didn't matter.

With the Phoenix Suns holding a 104-99 lead over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Tim Hadaway Jr.'s three-point attempt missed the mark. The long rebound forced Paul to reach high, extending to tip the ball with one hand. Crowder controlled the ball off Paul's tip with two hands before giving it back for the outlet pass.

The official rebound was awarded to Paul, his fifth of the game. That left Crowder with three rebounds for the game. His prop number for the game was 3.5.

A Crowder player prop on a three-game Thursday slate won't get much attention in other circles. But it's the latest example of controversy around player props and official recorded statistics.

The official NBA rules state “An individual rebound is credited each time a player retrieves a live ball or purposely taps a live ball to a teammate immediately following a missed field goal attempt or a missed free throw attempt."

The NBA itself has a video example in its online rulebook showing a player tipping a ball first before another player controls a rebound. You can view that video and explanation here.

Thus, the subjective debate becomes did Paul intentionally tip the ball to Crowder? If so, the rule says that should be Paul's rebound. If it was an unintentional tip, it's Crowder's board.

Subjective calls like this continue to aggravate sports bettors. As legalized gambling grows, player props become more popular and carry larger handles. That's even more true with the promotion of Same Game Parlays.

These controversies are not going away any time soon.