The third quarter has ended, a timeout has been called due to an out-of-bounds, and the Dallas Mavericks feel they hold possession. Instead, it's Golden State Warriors ball, and all they have to do is inbound from the baseline for a Kevon Looney slam.
Follow Us
The Dallas Mavericks and their owner, Mark Cuban, are upset with the NBA after an apparent mistake by referees resulted in an easy two points for the Golden State Warriors in a two-point Warriors win on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in the third quarter. At first sight, it appears to be a disastrous error by the Mavericks, who were protecting the wrong side of the court. As the Mavericks’ Josh Green came on the scene, Warriors guard Jordan Poole immediately inbounded the ball to Kevon Looney, who slapped down a half-hearted dunk. The Warriors led 98-96 early in the fourth quarter after the shot.
Confusion ensued, culminating in a heated tweet from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban following the game, outlining what had occurred from Dallas’ perspective and claiming that the referees modified the first call on the floor during the break without informing his team.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania claimed shortly after the game that Dallas intends to file a formal protest with the NBA, focusing on the third-quarter incident. As perplexing as the opening sequence was, it looks that the Mavericks may not have much of a case to make. Golden State won by two points, completing their second straight road win against a fellow Western Conference playoff contender.
READ MORE: Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade catches up with his old teammates
Jonathan Kuminga scored 22 points off the bench, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry nailed clutch shots down the line, and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 127-125, on Wednesday night.
The outcome had immediate implications in the Western Conference playoff race, with Golden State (38-36) not only moving one and a half games ahead of Dallas (36-37), but also obtaining a tiebreaker advantage by winning the season series 2-1.
With 1:32 left in the game, Green drove into the heart of the Dallas defense and drained a layup while being fouled by Christian Wood. As Green completed the three-point play, the Mavericks swiftly responded with a Wood hoop to get within one, then had a chance to take the lead after Donte DiVincenzo missed a 3-pointer.
But after Luka Doncic missed a 3-pointer, Curry drove for a layup, restoring Golden State’s advantage to three points with 8.5 seconds remaining.
After another Doncic miss, this time on a layup attempt, Kevon Looney hit two game-winning free throws with 1.7 seconds remaining as the Warriors completed a five-game trip with straight victories after dropping the first three.
The Warriors took a 113-105 lead with 6:35 remaining in a fiercely contested game in which neither team led by more than nine points.
To avoid a second straight loss, the Mavericks responded quickly with two 3-pointers from Jaden Hardy and an interior score from Doncic in a 54-second surge that established a tie and set up the thrilling finish.
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
