Simmons hasn’t appeared in a game with the Nets since suffering a lower back nerve impingement on Nov. 6. The ailment has limited him to just six games so far this season.“There’s been a lot of expectations on our team,” Lillard said. “Things have been expected to look a certain way. We’ve had a bumpy road to our success, which is sometimes a part of the process. I was surprised. But it’s part of the game. People get traded, people get waived, people get fired, and that’s never something you want to see.”
JANUARY 25: The Trail Blazers are reversing course and are letting the 48-hour deadline to file the protest pass, Wojnarowski tweets.
According to Wojnarowski, the Blazers feel as if they communicated their frustration to the league office about the controversial closing moments of the contest. As noted below, the odds of the protest being upheld were slim, so filing one would have been more about Portland expressing its displeasure than a legitimate hope to replay the final seconds of the game.
JANUARY 24: The Trail Blazers are filing a protest with the NBA following a two-point loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski explains, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was signaling for a timeout with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Portland holding a 109-108 lead. However, he wasn’t awarded that timeout — instead, guard Malcolm Brogdon was called for a double-dribble, giving the Thunder possession of the ball.
Billups came onto the court to angrily contest the call and confront the game officials, who hit him with a pair of technical fouls and ejected him from the game (Twitter video link). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted one of the two technical free throws, then Jalen Williams made a game-winning jumper with two seconds left to secure a 111-109 Thunder victory (video link).
“We’ve got timeouts,” Billups said after the game. “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.”
As Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian relays (via Twitter), referee crew chief Bill Kennedy said after the game that the official who typically would’ve responded to Billups’ timeout call was focused on Brogdon and the play right in front of him, and didn’t hear or see the Blazers’ coach asking for time.
As Wojnarowski details, a team that wants to file a protest must do so within 48 hours and must provide accompanying evidence within five days. The league then has five days to make a decision.
If the protest is upheld, the end of the game would be replayed at a later date, but that’s extremely rare and hasn’t happened since 2007, per Wojnarowski. As Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report notes (via Twitter), the Blazers likely don’t expect the outcome of the game to be altered, instead viewing the protest as a way to express their displeasure with the ruling.
7:08am: Wes Unseld Jr. will no longer serve as the head coach of the Wizards, according to the team, which announced in a press release today that Unseld will transition to a front office advisory role.
“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”
“I want to thank Terry for all his efforts since coming to Charlotte,” Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “On the court, he was a true professional and a great competitor who set a positive example for our young players. He also made himself a staple of the Charlotte community with his commitment to giving back. We wish him all the best in the future.
Accused of assaulting Gondrezick in a New York hotel, Porter was