I found this definition to be rather what I had intended and decided to now find how the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn used the river in the context as a whole but more importantly as symbolism in the middles sections of Chapters 16-31.
The maximum time limit of the shot clock varies by level of play and league: The National Basketball Association has had a 24-second limit since first introducing the clock in the 1950s; and college basketball for both men and women has a 30-second limit.
The shot clock was first introduced by the NBA in 1954, to increase the speed of play. Teams were then required to attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession, and the shot clock would be reset when the ball touched the basket's rim or the backboard, or the opponents gained possession.