A close encounter at the Smoothie King Center saw the Dallas Mavericks feel hard-done as a crucial no-call decision by the match officials cost Jason Kidd’s side against New Orleans Pelicans.
The Mavs thought they had made a bucket to go ahead against the Pelicans in the closing seconds, after PJ Washington stole the ball off Pelicans’ Jordan Hawkins and set up Spencer Dinwiddie to go for the basket.
Dinwiddie was blocked by Trey Murphy III at the basket with 3.1 seconds on the clock, with the Mavs players protesting that Murphy’s block should have been overturned for goaltending.
The protests fell on deaf ears as Pelicans made the next baskets via two free throws to claim a controversial 119-116 win