The Dallas Mavericks are planning to file a protest over a controversial play that occurred during their 127-125 home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
With 1:54 left in the third quarter, there was a dispute about whether a ball was off a Mavericks or Warriors player before going out of bounds. Initially the referee signaled Golden State ball and then did a gesture and signaled in the other direction.
The Warriors got the ball under Dallas’ basket. No Mavericks players were nearby, which allowed Golden State to score an easy basket.
For anyone who hasn't seen it, here's the odd sequence that led to the Warriors essentially two free points in Wednesday's game against the Mavericks. pic.twitter.com/5Y5339sAtU
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 23, 2023
Why weren’t any Mavs players nearby? They were all at the other end of the court, which is the crux of the controversy.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote on Twitter that the referee announced it was Dallas ball, and the arena announcer announced that it was the Mavericks’ ball. Then there was a timeout. Cuban says the official changed the call during the timeout and didn’t tell the Mavs, allowing Golden State to get an easy basket.
https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1638726798698586116
“Worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA . All they had to do was tell us and they didn’t,” Cuban wrote via Twitter.
A pool reporter was able to ask a question about the situation to Crew Chief Sean Wright after the game. Reporter Tim Cato asked why possession was given to the Warriors after it was originally signaled to be the Mavericks’
ball.
Wright said that the ball was never actually given to the Mavericks.
“Initially on the floor the original signal was in fact Golden State ball as this can be seen on video. There is a second signal but that signal is for a mandatory timeout that was due to the Mavs,” Wright said.
Pool report from Mavs-Warriors: pic.twitter.com/p0b1cOWq5V
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 23, 2023
A protest must be filed within 48 hours after the conclusion of the game. The Mavericks would have to pay $10,000 to protest and then they would have five days to provide evidence.
Rules of filing a protest
⭐️Protest must be filed 48-hours after the conclusion of the game
⭐️$10K protest fee (via a check) |Refunded if successful.
⭐️Dallas has within 5 days to provide evidence
⭐️The decision of the Commissioner is 5 days after receipt of evidence
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 23, 2023
According to Marc Stein, the last time a protest was successful was in 2008.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban says he indeed intends to file a protest with the league office in the wake of the sequence below.
Dallas unsuccessfully lodged a protest after a loss to Atlanta in Feb. 2020 — with Cuban subsequently fined $500,000. No NBA protest has succeeded since 2008. https://t.co/NplmVHjTBJ
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 23, 2023
If a protest were won by the Mavs, the game should be replayed from the point where the mistake was made.
