Mark Cuban to file protest of Mavericks’ loss to Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks will protest their 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night in Dallas, team governor Mark Cuban told ESPN.

The protest stems from an undisputed dunk by Warriors center Kevon Looney after a 1:54 timeout in the third quarter. The Mavericks thought they had possession, which Cuban blamed on an officiating error.

Cuban tweeted his account of the incident Wednesday night, saying the umpires originally said it was the Mavs ball. A timeout was then called.

“During the timeout, the officer changed the call and never told us,” Cuban said in his tweet. “Then when they saw us lining up as if it was our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. He never said a word to us. You have an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game.”

Cuban went on to call it the “worst officiating non-call error in NBA history”.

“They just had to tell us and they didn’t,” he wrote in his tweet.

In a subsequent pool report, crew chief Sean Wright denied Cuban’s portrayal, saying that the umpires originally signaled it was Golden State’s ball.

“There’s a second signal, but that signal is for a mandatory timeout that was attributable to the Mavs,” Wright said.

According to the NBA constitution, the Cuban must submit his protest in writing within the next 48 hours. After Commissioner Adam Silver receives the protest, the Warriors will be notified and each team will have five days to submit evidence supporting their case.

Silver will make a decision on the case within five days of receiving the evidence. Cuban’s protest must also be accompanied by a $10,000 protest fee, which will be returned if the protest is successful or forfeited if not.

The latest protest in the NBA was also filed by the Mavericks for their game against the Hawks on February 22, 2020. The Mavs lost the protest.

The last successful protest in the NBA came in January 2008.

Wednesday’s loss dropped Dallas to 36-37, ninth in the Western Conference rankings. The Mavs would have moved up to sixth place with a win ahead of the Warriors, who are now 38-36.