Nuggets file protest of loss to Grizzlies after NBA admits to blown call
The NBA admitted officials made a mistake; now the Nuggets want a do-over.
The Nuggets officially filed a protest of Tuesday’s last-second loss to the Grizzlies, citing a controversial play with 0.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
An errant pass appeared to go out of bounds off a Grizzlies player, but Memphis was awarded the ball after a video review. Grizzlies center Marc Gasol then made a tip-in at the buzzer to give Memphis a 108-107 victory.
In its final two-minute officiating report, the NBA admitted officials erred by giving the ball to the Grizzlies.
“Commissioner (Adam) Silver has done a fantastic job championing league transparency and accuracy for teams and fans alike with the addition of in-game video review and the NBA’s instant replay center,” Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said in a statement. “However, in this case, a reviewable non-judgment call regarding possession was not sufficiently reviewed, and considering the time and score, we feel as if the incorrect ruling had a direct impact on the final outcome of the game.”
Replaying the final 0.7 seconds would give the ball to the Nuggets, who simply would have to run an inbounds play to win. The protest likely won’t be upheld, though. Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters, via The Associated Press, the best-case scenario would be to “replay the last seven-tenths,” but the odds of that happening were “slim and none,” he said.
The Hawks and Heat replayed the final 51.9 seconds of a 2007 overtime game with the Hawks winning each time. That was the first replayed game in the NBA since the 1982-83 season.