So, it seems to me that it matter ALOT, especially in this crazy "squeeze" WHEN you have to pay off the short?

If it's at the CLOSE of business on particular day, that probably has a snowplow effect all day building to a huge closing bell.

If one investor, because they bought the short at 10:00am eastern a month ago (or whatever), has to make it good at 10:00 am eastern on Friday, that will be very different, and make a difference in the day, than another investor who maybe has to 3:00pm eastern to make it good.

It's kind of NUTS that hours or minutes make a big difference here ... but it looks like this is a certainly a case where it does ...

(just looking at the last few days ... it seems like ALOT happens at the opening and the closing of the day, and it's somewhat flatter in the middle of the day ....)