The Wizards should file a game protest for the Heat loss

The Wizards lost to the Heat on Thursday, 113-112 on a Kelly Olynyk putback basket. On Friday, the NBA released its officiating report, which stated that Rodney McGruder should have been called for fouling Otto Porter in a rebounding battle in the last second of the game.

If the foul was called, it’s reasonable to assume that despite the Wizards’ rebounding woes and Porter’s reluctance to shoot .. or really, his Meessemanesque style of play, that the Wizards would win. Fans won’t feel so salty, and maybe we wouldn’t be too hard on Ian Mahinmi as well.

Either way, the missed foul is exactly why the Wizards should protest the game and hope to get a do-over.

Will the Wizards get a do-over? Probably not. Recent attempts by the Raptors in 2016 and Nuggets, also in 2016 came up in vain. Still, that doesn’t mean that the Wizards shouldn’t try.

Last season, Washington barely made the playoffs. You never know if the season opener is the game that keeps the Wizards out of the playoffs or puts them into an unfavorable first round matchup this year. So it’s worth a shot.

In 2008, the Heat had a game protest granted after a loss to the Hawks on December 19, 2007. The game’s final 51.9 seconds were replayed on March 9, 2008 and the Hawks still ended up winning that game along with a second full game later that night.

The Wizards play the Heat three more times this season. They will play on the road against Miami on November 10 and January 4, 2019. Washington hosts Miami one more time on March 23, 2019. Given that both teams figure to be the contenders for the Southeast Division title this season, every game counts. The Wizards played far from a perfect game on Thursday. But when a missed call led to a game winning basket, they owe it to themselves and the fans to protest the game. If a protest happens let’s hope that we’ll get to see a do-over later this season.