The Portland Trail Blazers blew a three-point lead in the final 30 seconds losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 last night. Now, the Blazers hope the NBA gives them a second chance to win the game.
Portland plans to protest the result to the league, ESPN reported, arguing that the referees made a mistake by not granting a timeout before a crucial turnover.
With the Trail Blazers ahead 109-108, Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon dribbled the ball to midcourt, but was caught by the opposing defense. Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, behind the play, signaled for a timeout that was not granted, and Brogdon dribbled the ball again, being penalized for committing a double with 15.6 seconds left.
Billups ran angrily toward a referee to argue and received a technical foul for his repeated protests. When he remained on the court chasing the referee, a second referee gave him a second technical foul, ejecting him from the game.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made one of two free throws from the technical foul to tie the game and, later, Jalen Williams hit a shot from five meters to seal the victory for the hosts.
Billups said of the disputed sequence: “We have timeouts. The referees are usually prepared for that instance, that situation. I’m in the middle of the court, trying to call a timeout. It’s just frustrating. My guys played too hard for this. “It’s a frustrating play.”
The head of the referee team, Bill Kennedy, speaking to a designated reporter, said: “The referee in the middle position was refereeing the double mark that was right in front of him, which makes it difficult for the number one to hear and the number two see a coach’s timeout request behind him. He is taught to officiate the play to its conclusion, which happens with the double fault, and then technical fouls are correctly applied.”
According to ESPN, the Blazers will have five days to provide evidence to the NBA regarding the protest, and the league will have another five days to issue a ruling. On very few occasions in its history has the league granted the opportunity to replay a stretch of a game that has already ended, but Portland is confident in its case.
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2024-01-24 08:36:05
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