NBA denies Houston Rockets' protest for James Harden's controversial dunk against Spurs

After James Harden was not credited for his dunk during Houston Rockets' overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on December 3, the Rockets reportedly filed a complaint with the NBA protesting the decision. However, according to the latest reports, the NBA has denied the Rockets' protest. 

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Rockets vs Spurs: Harden dunk creates controversy

With less than 8 minutes left in Q4, James Harden recorded a steal before dunking the ball through the hoop. However, Houston Rockets were not credited with points for the dunk after the referees assumed the ball came off the net. The Rockets eventually lost the game 135-133 in a double-overtime. The Rockets decided to protest the controversial call which they believed changed the momentum of the game. The entire protest was based on the fact that 'misapplication of rules' took place after the referee also denied a coach's challenge to the Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni.  

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Rockets vs Spurs: NBA denies the protest

With Rockets hoping for a quick resolution, the NBA has gone on to deny the protest. According to The Athletic, the league is denying the Rockets' protest, which means that the Spurs will be credited with the win as it already was in the first place. The NBA also released a statement on the issue admitting that the three referees misapplied the 'coach's rule' and the league will work with the Competition Committee to ensure that a similar incident does not repeat itself.

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"Commissioner Silver determined that the Rockets had sufficient time to overcome the error during the remainder of the fourth quarter and two subsequent overtime periods and thus the extraordinary remedy of granting a game protest was not warranted." - per the NBA statement

Since then, the Houston Rockets went on to beat the Toronto Raptors and the Phoenix Suns while losing to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night (Tuesday, December 10 IST). They'll be facing the Cleveland Cavaliers next on Wednesday night.

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