OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Portland coach Chauncey Billups was ejected with 15 seconds left in the Trail Blazers' 111-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
The coach was upset that his player Malcolm Brogdon was called for a double-dribble violation as he was trying to call timeout. Billups received two technical fouls — the first for making contact twice with an official and the second for following and pursuing the official, according to a pool report interview.
“We’ve got timeouts,” Billups said afterward. “Referees usually are prepared for that, you know, that instance, that situation. I’m at half court, trying to call a timeout. It’s just frustrating. My guys played too hard for that. It’s a frustrating play.”
ESPN, citing sources, said the Blazers would protest the outcome of the game. There has not been a successful protest in the NBA since 2008, when the final seconds of a Miami-Atlanta game had to be replayed because Shaquille O'Neal was erroneously marked down for a sixth foul.
By league rule, the Blazers have 48 hours to file a protest.
According to the report of crew chief Bill Kennedy, the official said Billups was not granted a timeout because the referee was focused on the play in front of him.
“The referee in the slot position was refereeing the double-team that was right in front of him, which makes it difficult for number one to hear and number two to see a coach request a timeout behind him," Kennedy said. “He is taught to referee the play until completion, which a double dribble happens, and he correctly calls the double dribble and then pursuant (to that) the technical fouls come forward.”
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made one of two technical free throws to tie the score at 109-109, and Jalen Williams hit a shot with 2.1 seconds remaining to secure the victory.
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The Associated Press
