The Melbourne Tigers have asked the NBL for a 'Please Explain,' following their heartbreaking loss to the Cairns Taipans, 79-77, on Saturday.

The Tigers want confirming why Ayinde Ubaka's shot on the overtime buzzer did not count for three-points, and that despite the referees accessing video replay footage the result remains in favour of the Taipans.

The replays show clearly that as Ubaka rises to shoot the ball, the lights on the scoreboard have switched on to indicate the end of the game. But the Tigers are unhappy, believing the lights indicate a shot-clock violation and not the final buzzer.

In the footage, the main scoreboard can be seen to read 0.2 seconds after the ball has left Ubaka's hands.

The referees should have called the Tigers for a shot-clock violation with 0.8 seconds to play, but neither of the three officials blew their whistle.

One referee signalled a 'three-point attempt' while another referee signalled a 'two-point attempt'.

When using the video replay, referees can only make a decision on whether the shot was before or after the end of a period, or to determine if the shot should be worth two or three points.

With the aid of the replay, the referees cannot make a call that was not originally made on the floor. Be it a travelling violation, a foul off the ball or in this case a shot-clock violation.

Speaking exclusively to BackPageLead, Melbourne Tigers General Manager, Adam Fountain, said, "We've asked for a please explain.

"We've asked the NBL to give their verdict as to why it was called as it was."

The Tigers are not protesting the result, but would like clarification from the NBL whether the shot should have counted or if the game should be replayed.

"Realistically, I don't think there would be a replay of the game," noted a pragmatic Fountain. But the Tigers are eager to clear up the ruling on using video replays.

The Tigers are also after an answer to whether the call to waive the basket off was correct.

"Did they make the right or wrong call?" Fountain queried.

While the Tigers seek an explanation of the, "clarifications on the use of technology," as Fountain described it, the team is reeling on the back of four consecutive defeats that have knocked them out of the top-four with a 6-6 record.