Totally should have been called under the current rules, but they should change the rules as that shouldn't have been a goal tend. The ball was still going up and wasn't directly over the hoop.
Umm, yes, it should have been a goaltend because it was a goaltend. You're not allowed to touch the ball once it hits the backboard, nor are you allowed to hit the backboard when someone is attempting a layup, which is never enforced, anymore, much like the provision concerning as to how players are not allowed to touch the net or put their hand(s) in the basket during a shot attempt. I think. Does anyone else remember when Pau Gasol blatantly goaltended Courtney Lee's shot at the end of regulation in Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals? Dude literally put his hand in the basket and hit the backboard all at once, and even Phil Jackson admitted that it should have been called, albeit two days later, lol -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q7hXMtcRy4
http://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4246830
Pau also had an up-and-down that went uncalled (and on which he scored) against the Cs in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals. He must have friends in high places.
Oh yeah, I remember that, believe me, although, as Bill Walton said afterwards, Boston lost that series in Game 3, and I'll always wonder as to whether or not Michael Finley - yes, Michael Finley - could have stepped in for that other guy after the latter was kneed in the thigh on his first jumper by the artist formerly known as Ron Artest
and never shot the same way for the rest of that series, I believe, but don't quote me on that.
Anyway, what's let's say "interesting"
about Gasol, imo, is that, if you remember as to how hey whined on what seemed like every single play despite routinely going over the backs of KG, Sheed, Perk, etc. which always resulted in fouls/free throws for the Lakers, when the latter played the Mavericks that very next year, the officials never gave him any of those calls, despite his antics, and haven't since. Hmm...
Honestly, though, and while that Game was almost a carbon copy of Game 7 between the Bulls and Pacers in the 1998 ECF, the reality was that Boston beat itself, too often, offensively, imo, and needed more depth in the form of, say, Wesley Matthews and Jerry Stackhouse, plus Finley, if they were to have beaten the Lakers. Brandon Bass in place of Glen Davis would have helped tremendously, as well, imo, and guys like Jannero Pargo and Jason Williams could have been had as a backup/backups for Rondo. Joe Smith could have been helpful, too, not to mention Ben Wallace, but we'll never know now, 2K notwithstanding, of course, lol. Sigh.