The NBA could have seen a huge upset win if the 14th-seeded Blazers managed to beat second-seeded OKC Thunder, but the game was fraught with referee mistakes at the end. With the Blazers holding a one-point lead with 15.6 seconds left, referees ignored Chauncey Billups’ call for a timeout. Billups would be ejected for protesting when the referees called a double-dribble before granting the timeout.
The Blazers have filed an official protest against the result.
“ESPN Sources: Portland is filing a protest with the league office to challenge the result of the 111-109 loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. With a 109-108 lead, Portland contends Chauncey Billups was clearly calling timeout prior to officials whistling a Blazers double-dribble with 15.6 seconds left. Billups was assessed two techs and ejected.”
ESPN Sources: Portland is filing a protest with the league office to challenge result of 111-109 loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. With 109-108 lead, Portland contends Chauncey Billups was clearly calling timeout prior to official whistling a Blazers double-dribble with 15.6…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 24, 2024
This was a clear miss from the officials, as it was clear on the broadcast that Billups was asking for a timeout. However, Billups was approaching the referees from behind, so there’s a chance that provides enough cover for the league office to not order that the last 15.6 seconds of this game be replayed.
Legitimately insane ending in OKC. Can't remember ever seeing a coach with a one-point lead in the last 30 seconds getting two techs and booted. Billups wanted TO but you're never getting a timeout from behind the play like that, the refs can't hear or see you. pic.twitter.com/p6SOfkcd4e
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) January 24, 2024
This win allowed the Thunder to capture the No. 1 seed in the West, currently tied with the Timberwolves with a 30-13 record. The Blazers remain comfortably as the 14th seed with their record worsening to 12-31.
Has An Official Protest Ever Worked?
The NBA has seen many teams file official protests in the last 40 years. The most recent example comes from last March when the Dallas Mavericks protested the result of a two-point loss to the Warriors because of a third-quarter play where the officials did not properly administer an out-of-bounds call and a subsequent throw-in that was followed by an uncontested basket by Golden State.
The only successful protest of the last 40 years came from a game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks in December 2007. The Hawks won an OT game where Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal was ejected for picking up six fouls with 51.9 seconds left. However, a book-keeping error meant that Shaq was accidentally given one of Udonis Haslem’s fouls, which meant O’Neal was unjustly ejected from the game.
The Heat filed a protest and managed to win. The Hawks and Heat had to replay the last 51.9 seconds of that game before their next matchup in April 2008, with the score being set to a three-point Hawks lead. The 51.9 seconds ended with neither team scoring and the Hawks getting to keep their official win.
Funnily, O’Neal wasn’t even on the Heat by the time the replay took place, as he had been traded to the Phoenix Suns already. This was a pointless exercise which has probably led the NBA to shy away from ever ordering another restart of this sort again. It’s unlikely the Blazers will win their protest, either.
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