First they lost the game, then their nerves.
In the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks suffered a setback in the race for the playoff spots. In the duel against champions Golden State Warriors, the Texans narrowly lost in front of their home crowd with 125:127. Mavs boss Mark Cuban announced on ESPN that he would lodge a protest against the game rating.
Mavs anger at NBA ref
What happened? There was a timeout after Golden State lost the ball in the third quarter. The result: ball possession for the Mavericks. During the short time-out, however, the refs decided differently and decided that the Warrios now had possession of the ball. Stupid: Dallas hadn’t noticed the verdict and made his way forward under the opposing basket. The field was clear for Golden State, who converted without resistance.
Cuban ranted about one of the “worst mistakes in NBA history” and wrote on Twitter: “Crazy that this scene would play out in a two-point game. They (the referees; editor’s note) only had to tell us and didn’t do it.” Luka Doncic, who was back after a two-week injury break and scored 30 points, made a small number gesture with his fingers.
The narrow loss meant the Mavs missed catching up with the Warriors in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks are currently ninth in the west, with only the top six teams safely advancing to the final round. The teams ranked seventh through tenth in each conference qualify for a tournament in which the last two playoff spots are awarded.
Lakers win without LeBron
The Los Angeles Lakers with national player Dennis Schröder kept their chances for the playoffs. Even without the still injured superstar LeBron James, the Lakers won 122:111 against the Phoenix Suns. Schroeder scored 13 points. The Lakers are tenth in the West, just behind the Mavericks.
The New York Knicks with the German center Isaiah Hartenstein lost 120:127 in the Miami Heat and thus failed to distance a competitor for the direct playoff entry. The Knicks are fifth in the East, two wins ahead of the Heat. Hartenstein got two points.
Basketball pro Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has made a successful return to the NBA after his suspension. Morant contributed 17 points to his team’s 130-125 win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday (local time). The Grizzlies’ top player was banned from the North American League for eight games because of a controversial nightclub video and “league-damaging behavior” and was used again for the first time.
