The Portland Trail Blazers are filing a protest to the NBA to challenge the result of a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
Portland says coach Chauncey Billups was calling a timeout prior to Malcolm Brogdon getting called for a double-dribble with a 109-108 lead and 15.6 seconds left.
A livid Billups was assessed two technical fouls and ejected from the game.
Billups said he and Brogdon were trying to call timeout on the possession.
“We’ve got timeouts,” Billups said. “Referees usually are prepared for that, you know, that instance, that situation. I’m at half court, trying to call a timeout. It’s just frustrating. My guys played too hard for that, it’s a frustrating play.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made one of two free throws to tie the score, then Jalen Williams connected on a mid-range jumper in traffic with two seconds left to win it for the Thunder.
The protest came on the same day the NBA announced that refs got 10 calls wrong in the final two minutes of a Charlotte-Minnesota game on Monday.
— with files from AP.
