It didn’t take the Mavericks organization long to double-down on its belief that a blown referees’ call Saturday night in Atlanta potentially cost Dallas a victory over the Hawks.

Two sources confirmed Sunday that the Mavericks filed an official protest of Saturday’s 111-107 loss, citing a “misapplication of the rules” on a play that occurred with 8.4 seconds left and the Hawks leading by two points.

Two sources confirm @TheSteinLine report that Mavs have filed an official protest with the league concerning the finish to last night's game. In NBA history, only 3 protests have been successful. The Rockets earlier this season lost a protest they filed for a game against S.A. — Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 23, 2020

The Mavericks, especially owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle, made their feelings clear immediately after the defeat. By rule, NBA teams have 48 hours after the final whistle in which to file a protest, but the Mavericks took less than 20 hours.

“Refs have bad games. Crews have bad games. But this isn’t a single game issue,” Cuban wrote, in one seven critical tweets he sent during and after the game. “This is the same [expletive] that has been going on for 20 years.”

Now, by filing the official protest and $10,000 filing fee, the Mavericks are asking that Saturday night’s final nine seconds are replayed, starting with a jump ball and a 109-107 score.

On Saturday night’s play in question, Hawks guard Trae Young drove in for a layup. Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith blocked the shot and was whistled for goaltending.

At the time it seemed immaterial that Atlanta’s John Collins grabbed the ball as it caromed off the rim and made a put-back shot, releasing the ball a split second after the whistle for the goaltend call.

Referees Rodney Mott, Derrick Collins, Matt Myers and NBA replay center officials in Secaucus, N.J. determined that Finney-Smith’s block was not goaltending. Collins’ put-back basket, however, was allowed, giving Atlanta its final four-point margin of “victory.”

Why, exactly, was Collins’ shot allowed?

“The ball hit the rim, so it was deemed an inadvertent whistle because it was ruled a good block,” Mott stated in a pool report requested by The Dallas Morning News. “By rule, it’s an inadvertent whistle. It’s Rule Two. Because he (Collins) was in his shooting motion when my whistle blew, it’s deemed a continuation, so therefore, the basket counts.”

The pool report was released more than 30 minutes after the game. In the game’s immediate aftermath, Carlisle said Mott’s on-court explanation was “not a sufficient one.

“My understanding is that if it is a good block on a goaltend that is called and reversed, if there is no control or the other team gets it, it’s a jump ball,” Carlisle added. “So, I don’t know. It’s baffling and disappointing.”

By league rule, it is commissioner Adam Silver who will weigh the merits of the Mavericks’ protest and render a decision.

Silver also will act as judge and jury on the question of whether Cuban incurs a financial penalty -- atop the $2 million-plus in fines that he has amassed during his two decades of ownership – for his incendiary tweets and blistering postgame remarks about the “ridiculous” current state of officiating and “horrific job of training” new officials.

A few minutes before 6 p.m. Sunday, the NBA released its Last Two Minute report for the Mavericks-Atlanta game, the only one of Saturday’s seven games to qualify for the “L2M” report because the difference between the teams was three points or fewer in the fourth quarter’s final two minutes.

The L2M cited no missed calls or no-calls in the Mavericks-Hawks game, but the “review decision” on the overturned goaltend call was intentionally left blank, with this comment beneath the play’s description: “Play under protest by the Mavericks.”

In essence, the L2M delayed comment on the play until Silver makes his decision.

In the NBA’s 73-year history, about 35 protests have been filed, but only three have been upheld.

In 1978, the New Jersey Nets won a protest against Philadelphia, but ultimately lost game after the final 17:50 was replayed.

In 1982, San Antonio won a protest against the Lakers and the game after the final three seconds were replayed.

In 2007, Miami won a protest against Atlanta, but lost after the final 51.9 seconds were replayed.

Earlier this season, Houston protested its 135-133 double-overtime loss to San Antonio because a James Harden basket with 7:50 left in the fourth quarter was not counted. Harden dunked the ball so hard that it cleared the net and popped back up, giving the appearance that it did not go through the cylinder.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni tried to use his Coach’s Challenge to get the play reviewed, but officials James Capers, Kevin Scott and James Butler did not grant his challenge.

Silver’s ruling, which came six days after the Rockets filed their protest, included an acknowledgment that the officials erred. In fact, all three referees were disciplined.

Silver, however, agreed with the Spurs’ stance that, though acknowledging the error, there was not a misapplication of the rules. The Spurs also argued that the Rockets had sufficient time to make up for the error. Houston led by 13 points at the time.

The commissioner determined that a “game protest was not warranted.”

If Silver agrees with Dallas’ belief that rules were misapplied Saturday night, it certainly also would be true that the Mavericks didn’t have sufficient time to make up for the error.

Exactly what protest grounds the Mavericks submitted to the league on Sunday are not clear, although Cuban might well have laid out Dallas’ case in this late Saturday night tweet, which contradicted referee Mott’s pool report statement, citing Rule Two.

“An inadvertent whistle is a suspension of play,” Cuban tweeted. “The ball becomes dead when the following occurs (1) Official blows his/her whistle. EXCEPTION: If a field goal is IN FLIGHT, the ball becomes dead when a goal is made, missed or touched by an offensive player. Pg 25”

On Sunday afternoon, an overruled goaltend call in the Lakers-Boston game seemed to bolster Cuban’s point. The Lakers’ Dwight Howard was called for goaltending, but the play was reversed due to an “inadvertent whistle.” A jump ball was held at midcourt.

If this is an over ruled goaltend that converts to an inadvertent whistle, why wasn't this a good basket when he had gathered at the time of the whistle ? Anyone know ? https://t.co/vRzSNHMDh3 — Mark Cuban (@mcuban) February 24, 2020

“Inadvertent whistle on a goaltend, not a popular thing in the last 24 hours,” ESPN commentator Mike Breen said.

“What is it with all these inadvertent whistles,” analyst Jeff Van Gundy retorted. “Just make it up, like they used to.”

Cuban tweeted a YouTube snippet of the play, which showed Boston’s Jaylen Brown rebounding the blocked shot and laying in a putback. Seemingly, this means there was a rules misapplication in either the Dallas-Atlanta or Lakers-Boston game.

Cuban asked in his tweet: “If this is an overruled goaltend that converts to an inadvertent whistle, why wasn’t this a good basket, when he had gathered at the time of the whistle.? Anyone know?”

Commissioner Silver, those questions seemed to be directed at you.

Brunson out vs. Minnesota: Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who suffered a sprained right shoulder when knocked to the court just 10 seconds into Saturday's game, has been ruled out for Monday's home game against Minnesota.

The NBA’s Sunday afternoon injury report also listed Luka Doncic (sore right ankle) as probable for Monday, and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons) as questionable.

Brunson said he separated his right shoulder when he put his arm out to brace his fall: “It’s not bad. It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be. It popped out for a second and popped back in when I leaned on it to pop it back in. It’s a little sore now, but I thought it would be way worse.”

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