"Ref changed the call & never told us" - Mark Cuban fuming at officials for horrendous call which ends up costing the Mavericks big time
Mark Cuban saw his team, the Dallas Mavericks, battle hard but eventually lose to the Golden State Warriors 127-125 on Wednesday. Dallas was without Kyrie Irving due to an injured right foot and Tim Hardaway Jr., who is suffering from an illness.
Still, they kept the game very close and had their chances of winning even if they were undermanned. The two-point loss didn't sit well with the billionaire.
Here's what Mark Cuban said about one sequence that ultimately cost them big:
"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened. The ref called Mavs ball . The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout . During the time out the official changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors.
"Never said a word to us They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game. Worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA . All they had to do was tell us and they didn't."
Warriors get a free bucket after the Mavs defend the wrong basket 😅
(via @warriors)
https://t.co/Uwtsnbqw4d
Kevon Looney's dunk gave the Golden State Warriors a 90-87 lead with 1:54 left in the third quarter. The period ended with Golden State leading 96-93. Both teams went back-and-forth throughout the final period.
Steph Curry's assist to Draymond Green, who scored on a 3-point play, gave the Warriors a 123-120 lead. Mark Cuban must have been fuming at this point after what had happened a quarter earlier.
NBA officiating has gotten a ton of flack this season after several botched calls in high-profile games. This could be another example of those crucial game-deciding errors in a nationally televised game.
Mark Cuban's team fall to 9th in the Western Conference
The Dallas Mavericks' loss dropped the team's record to 36-37. They're now ninth in the tightly-contested Western Conference and just half a game ahead of the 11th place LA Lakers (35-37).
LA has an ongoing game on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. If the Lakers win and tie the Mavericks, Dallas will remain ahead of the Lakers due to a 3-1 edge in their season series.
Mark Cuban's team, though, will be in a more complicated situation. They have nine games left, including a five-game Eastern Conference swing.
Close one at @AACenter.
@Chime | #MFFL https://t.co/FwSWOFL6f8
Luka Doncic has just returned from a left thigh strain while Kyrie Irving has been in and out of the lineup. Both have played just nine games together since the Mavericks acquired the mercurial point guard via a trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
If both or one of them can't stay healthy during this crucial stretch, the Mavericks could be facing a long offseason.
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