‘Refs normally prepared for that’: NBA team to protest loss after stunning coach ejection

The Portland Trail Blazers are throwing in a protest to problem the results of their 111-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a consequence of referee error.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Trail Blazers are claiming their head coach Chauncey Billups known as a timeout earlier than Portland have been penalised for a double-dribble.

With Portland in entrance 109-108 with 15.6 seconds on the clock, the Trail Blazers say Billups tried to name a timeout which wasn’t granted by the referees.

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The Trail Blazers have been then known as for a double-dribble which infuriated Billups, who was given a double technical and ejected from the sport.

Head referee Bill Kennedy mentioned post-game that Billups was ejected as a result of he made contact with the official.

The Thunder knocked down one of many two technical free throws to tie the sport at 109 with 15 seconds left after which get the ball for the game-winning try.

Thunder ahead Jalen Williams would knock down a mid-range jumper to provide his workforce the lead with two seconds on the clock earlier than Portland turned the ball over on their ensuing possesion, ending the sport.

Despite the unlikeliness of the league overturning the consequence, the Trail Blazers have fired within the protest anyway.

“It is a tough situation. We had timeouts and the referees are normally prepared for that,” Billups mentioned in his post-match presser.

“I’m at halfcourt trying to call a timeout… It’s just frustrating, my guys play too hard for that.”

The Thunder have been eyeing off the highest spot within the Western Conference after Minnesota’s upset loss to Charlotte on Tuesday.

While they weren’t convincing in opposition to the lowly Trail Blazers, and maybe somewhat fortunate, the win propels Oklahoma City into first place within the West.

A pair of Aussies confronted off in Portland’s rising rookie Duop Reath and Thunder level guard Josh Giddey.

Reath entered the Thunder conflict averaging over 15 factors and 7 rebounds in January, and he once more was excellent off the bench, scoring 10 factors from 3/5 capturing in addition to including 4 rebounds and three assists.

His play of late has given Billups one thing to consider transferring ahead, with Reath once more outperforming beginning centre Deandre Ayton (5 factors).

Giddey in the meantime was comparatively quiet, recording seven factors, 5 rebounds and three assists in his 25 minutes on the court docket.

KNICKS DEFEAT CROSSTOWN RIVALS IN NAIL-BITER

This one wasn’t an epic collapse by the Nets.

Just a daily outdated one was sufficient.

Brooklyn had one other late lead with two minutes left however coughed it up in a 108-103 loss to the rival Knicks earlier than a crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center on Tuesday night time.

The Nets (17-26) have dropped 5 of six, and 11 of 13. The worst had been Sunday, the place they’d led by 11 earlier than letting the Clippers rating the ultimate 22 factors — tying the worst endgame implosion since play-by-play has been stored.

Tuesday wasn’t as dangerous — nevertheless it was dangerous sufficient.

After main by as many as 10, and 100-98 with 2:20 left, they allowed a 7-1 Knicks run to see their rivals head again throughout the East River with a stolen win.

Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle every had 30 factors to guide the Knicks.

Mikal Bridges, taking part in in opposition to 4 of his former Villanova teammates, was the very best Wildcat on the court docket. He poured in a game-high 36 factors, and hit a career-high 7 of 13 from behind the arc.

But it wasn’t sufficient.

Nic Claxon had eight factors and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds.

And Cam Johnson snapped out of his malaise with 19 factors, hitting 4 of 6 from deep.

But he’ll rue the final one he took, a possible game-tying miss with Brooklyn down 106-103 and 6.8 seconds left.

Fittingly, Randle snatched the rebound and iced it.

Jacque Vaughn went with defensive-minded backup Dennis Smith Jr. prolonged minutes fairly than Spencer Dinwiddie, attempting to sluggish Brunson. It didn’t assist.

After Brooklyn had owned this collection behind Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — taking 9 straight at one level — the Knicks had received the previous three by an combination 61 factors.

This wasn’t that form of recreation.

This one was a nail-biter.

But the Nets have misplaced too lots of these, and add this to the checklist.

The Knicks improved to 27-17.

They’ve received 4 straight and 10 of their final dozen since buying OG Anunoby from the Raptors for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

The first half noticed 9 ties and three lead modifications. Brooklyn by no means led by greater than 5, the Knicks greater than 4.

A ten-2 run to start out the third opened a Nets lead.

A Bridges 3-pointer off a Dinwiddie feed put Brooklyn forward 59-52 simply 1:52 in.

They padded the cushion to double digits.

Cam Thomas discovered Claxton for an alley-oop for an 81-71 edge, and Bridges hit a midrange pull-up to provide the Nets an 83-73 lead with 38.1 seconds left within the third.

The Knicks reduce into it within the fourth.

Miles McBride’s pull-up 3-pointer pulled them inside 87-83 with 9:04 to play, and this time, Vaughn didn’t hesitate to name a timeout, rapidly attempting to stem the tide.

It didn’t assist.

Precious Achiuwa’s baseline dunk made it 97-96, and after Claxton misplaced the ball out of bounds, Randle’s put-back layup put the Knicks forward with 3:57 left.

Dorian Finney-Smith’s left-corner 3-pointer put Brooklyn again forward by a deuce.

But Randle’s 3-pointer made it 101-100 with 2:19 remaining.

Bridges made simply one among two on the line to knot it.

And after Johnson and Smith missed layups, it became a go-ahead breakaway dunk for Randle the opposite manner. Randle discovered Josh Hart for a dagger layup and 105-101 lead with 25 seconds remaining.

Bridges did handle a fadeaway to chop the lead in half. But after Brooklyn fouled Brunson, he sank each.

The Johnson missed 3 iced it.

– This story was initially revealed by the New York Post and reproduced with permission

NBA SCORES – JANUARY 24

Knicks 108 @ Nets 103

Trail Blazers 109 @ Thunder 111

Jazz 124 @ Pelicans 153

Nuggets 114 @ Pacers 109

Lakers 116 @ Clippers 127 (in progress)