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It doesn’t seem like the Portland Trail Blazers’ challenge of Tuesday night’s 111-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder is going to be successful.
The NBA released the last-two minute report from the game and confirmed the double-dribble call against Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon with 15.7 seconds remaining was the correct one. It also said the two technical fouls then issued to Portland head coach Chauncey Billups were correct.
“Brogdon (POR) ends his dribble and gets trapped by Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) and Williams (OKC). He thereafter dribbles again,” it read. “(An attempt to call a timeout by Coach Billups (POR) during this play is neither recognized nor granted by the officials.)”
It also described the second technical against Billups by saying he “aggressively follows and pursues a game official and is assessed a second unsportsmanlike technical foul and ejected from the game.”
Portland held a narrow 109-108 lead when the sequence occurred.
Billups was attempting to call timeout before the officials called the double-dribble against Brogdon and then protested when he wasn’t given it. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit one of the two technical free throws to tie it, and Jalen Williams drilled what proved to be the game-winner on the ensuing possession.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Trail Blazers filed a protest with the NBA office because they believe the timeout should have been granted before the double-dribble violation.
If it was, the entire sequence of technical fouls and the Thunder getting the ball back in such a manner wouldn’t have happened.
“I’m at halfcourt trying to call a timeout,” Billups told reporters. “It’s just a frustrating play. My guys played too hard for that. It’s a frustrating play.”
Crew chief Bill Kennedy addressed the situation after the game and said, “the referee in the slot position was refereeing the double-team that was right in front of him, which makes it difficult for, No. 1, to hear and, No. 2, to see a coach request a timeout behind him,” per Lukas Weese and John Hollinger of The Athletic.
“He is taught to referee the play until completion.”
Had Portland done a better job slowing Gilgeous-Alexander, it might not have been in such a situation. He finished with 33 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and five steals in an impressive performance.
To the Trail Blazers’ credit, they bounced back from the loss with an overtime victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
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