The Pool Report interview was conducted by Jonathan Feigen (Houston Chronicle) with Crew Chief Eric Lewis following tonight’s Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets game.

QUESTION: On the overturned goaltending call on LeBron James, why was that overturned and if a player hits the rim on an opponent shot is that not goaltending?   

LEWIS: The rule states a player shall not touch the basket ring when the ball is using the basket ring as its lower base, nor can he vibrate the rim so as to cause the ball to make an unnatural bounce. Neither of those cases happened which is why the challenge was successful.

QUESTION: Just to clarify, a player may not touch the rim if it causes those things to happen that you described?

LEWIS: He may not touch the rim when the ball is using the ring as its lower base or rolling around the ring. So, in this instance the ball was not on the ring when LeBron touched it and he did not cause the rim to vibrate or the backboard to vibrate to cause it to make an unnatural bounce.

QUESTION: So, it did not impact the shot?

LEWIS:  Correct.