Nuggets Protest Ruling In Loss To Memphis

DENVER (The Sports Xchange) - The Denver Nuggets filed an official protest with the NBA following their one-point loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis on Tuesday night.

Officials on the court ruled that Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay touched a loose ball last before it went out of bounds with 0.7 seconds remaining and a 107-106 lead. Grizzlies center Marc Gasol made a buzzer-beating tip-in to give Memphis a 108-107 victory.

In their last two minutes officiating report, the NBA acknowledged that the Nuggets should have been given the ball with the same time on the clock.

"We contacted the league office and (general manager) Tim Connelly and (president) Josh Kroenke are waiting for a word back," coach Michael Malone said. "Best case scenario would be to replay the last 0.7."

In a statement released Thursday, Kroenke acknowledged the difficult job officials have and lauded the league, but said the team feels it was in wrong call.

"Commissioner (Adam) Silver has done a fantastic job championing league transparency and accuracy for teams and fans alike with the addition of in-game video review and the NBA's Instant Replay Center," Kroenke's statement reads.

"However, in this case, a reviewable non-judgement call regarding possession was not sufficiently reviewed, and considering the time and score, we feel as if the incorrect ruling had a direct impact on the final outcome of the game."