Mavericks will protest two-point loss to the Warriors after Golden State score uncontested dunk

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has criticized NBA officials for bizarre timing in a 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors, with the team set to file a formal protest.

According to multiple reports, the Mavs will file a protest after Golden State scored an uncontested basket late in the third quarter, which Cuban said resulted from a mix-up over who had possession of the ball.

“For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3, let me explain what happened,” Cuban tweeted.

‘The umpire called the Mavs a ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the timeout the officer changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up like it was our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors.

‘They never said a word to us. They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game. Possibly the worst uncalled referee error in NBA history. All they had to do was tell us and they didn’t.

Kevon Looney had an easy dunk on the in-bounds play. The Mavericks thought they had the ball after official Andy Nagy signaled in the direction of Golden State for the possession, but then quickly signaled to the Dallas bench to signal a timeout.

Looney protested when Nagy pointed toward the Dallas bench, but Nagy seemed to explain that he was signaling the timeout. The public address announcer also indicated that Dallas was awarded possession.

After the break, the Mavericks lined up on their offensive end, giving Looney the easy dunk with no defenders around as the Warriors took a 90-87 lead.

Crew chief Sean Wright disagreed with Cuban’s assessment of the crucial moment.

“There is a second signal, but that signal is for a mandatory timeout due to the Mavs,” Wright said, via the group’s report.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd’s argument was that official Michael Smith must have thought the Mavericks had possession because he was on the same end of the field as the Mavs.

“There were quite a few people out of position,” Kidd said after the game. ‘It’s fixable, but first you have to admit there was a mistake.’

Golden State’s victory was crucial in the context of qualifying for the Western Conference.

Currently, the reigning champs (38-36) sit two games ahead of the Mavs (36-37). Had Dallas won, it would be the No. 6 seed instead of its current No. 9 seed.

Under the NBA constitution, a team must fax or email NBA Commissioner Adam Silver within 48 hours of the conclusion of a game if it challenges the outcome.

A check for $10,000 made out to the league must also be presented for the protest to be considered.

‘If the member who filed the protest prevails, the $10,000 must be refunded. If the member does not win, the $10,000 will be forfeited and retained in the Association treasury,’ says the constitution.

Silver will have five days from the time of receipt to make a judgment on the result. The probability that the commissioner will rule in favor of the Mavericks is more than remote.