NEW YORK -- The NBA approved the use of instant replay Monday, just months after several controversial last-second calls in the playoffs.

		Here's a salute to the NBA for its decision to use instant replay. There was so much controversy last season, especially in the playoffs with shots hit by Baron Davis and Reggie Miller. In each case, the NBA was fortunate things worked out the right way, because it could have been an absolute nightmare. The league made a good decision moving forward. With all the technology available, it only makes sense to get the calls right.

Beginning with the 2002-03 preseason, referees will automatically review any shot that goes in with no time left on the clock in any quarter or overtime. They will also be able to use video to determine if a player had his foot on the 3-point line or out-of-bounds line.

Recommended by the league's Competition Committee last month, the NBA's Board of Governors approved the move last week.

There were several last-second shots last season that helped precipitate the move.

"I don't think there's any one event that drove this decision,'' Stu Jackson, the NBA's vice president for basketball operations said. "There have been a number of instances where, quite frankly, for any human being it would have been impossible to determine whether the shot got off in time.''

In an April playoff game between the Hornets and the Orlando Magic, Charlotte's Baron Davis banked in a shot that clearly beat the buzzer after the Hornets inbounded with 0.7 seconds left and the score tied.

Referee Bernie Fryer waved the shot off while it was in the air, saying the officiating crew had discussed beforehand that no player could catch, turn and shoot in that amount of time.

The Hornets went on to beat the Magic in overtime, but the episode showed that the league needed to address its policies regarding rulings on last-second shots.

In the Nets-Pacers series, Reggie Miller forced overtime in Game 5 with a shot that left his hand after the clock reached 0.0 seconds.

And in Game 4 of the Kings-Lakers series, a 30-footer by Samaki Walker to end the first half was allowed even though it left his hand too late.