Report: Portland Trail Blazers to file protest with NBA following defeat to Oklahoma City Thunder in controversial circumstances

The Portland Trail Blazers have opted not to file a protest with the NBA following Tuesday's controversial loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. ESPN sources, including the reliable Adrian Wojnarowski, reported that the Blazers have decided to miss the 48-hour deadline to file a protest, confident that they have sufficiently expressed their frustration to the league.

The 111-109 loss to the Thunder was marked by a controversial ending that led the Blazers to initially consider filing a protest with the league office. The controversy revolved around a situation in which, with a 109-108 lead, coach Chauncey Billups called a timeout clearly before a referee whistled a double-dribble on shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon with 15.1 seconds left in the final quarter in Oklahoma City.

The Blazers organization contended that Billups had called the timeout, and their displeasure with the referee's decision was evident when he was assessed two technical fouls and ejected in the game's final seconds.

The Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capitalized in part on the technical fouls by hitting one of two free throws to tie the score at 109, and then Jalen Williams secured the win with a layup with 2.1 seconds left. The loss dropped the Blazers to a 12-31 record.

NBA protocol states that a team has 48 hours to file a protest, and an additional five days to provide evidence of the challenged action. The league office, in turn, has another five days to make a decision on the matter. In addition, the act of filing a protest carries a $10,000 fee, which is refundable if successful.