Atlanta must replay final seconds after Miami appeal upheld

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal shoots a free throw in the first half of their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, December 13, 2007. Atlanta Hawks have been ordered to replay the final 51.9 seconds of their game against the Miami Heat after the league upheld an appeal from the Florida team.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Atlanta Hawks have been ordered to replay the final 51.9 seconds of their game against the Miami Heat after the league upheld an appeal from the Florida team.

Atlanta won the December 19 game 117-111 in overtime but were just three points ahead when the Hawks' scoring table personnel incorrectly disqualified the Heat's Shaquille O'Neal.

It is the first time in over 25 years an appeal on a game result has been upheld by the NBA and the replayed part of the match will be held when the teams meet on March 8 in Georgia.

The mistake came when the scoring official ruled that a foul by O'Neal was his sixth of the game rather than his fifth.

The NBA said the error occurred because the Hawks' official attributed to O'Neal a foul at 3:24 remaining in the fourth period that was actually called against the Heat's Udonis Haslem.

The Hawks have also been fined $50,000 for the mistake with the NBA saying the Atlanta team had been "grossly negligent".

Miami suffered a clear competitive disadvantage as O'Neal -- the Heat's second-leading scorer and rebounder that night -- was removed from a one-point game with 51.9 seconds remaining.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami, editing by Ken Ferris)