Protest from Mavericks prepared over Dampier's ejection, other disputed calls

DALLAS — A day later, Erick Dampier still couldn't figure out what happened when he got ejected from Friday night's loss to Houston.

It was the play at the root of the Mavericks' protest of the game, which was being formally prepared Saturday evening. The Mavericks had 48 hours after the game to get the protest and the $10,000 fee to the league.

Dampier has replayed the situation in his mind and watched the film and still doesn't get it, though he does see the humor in it.

"I've never been in that situation before, where a player gets fouled and they get a technical and then they get ejected," Dampier said with a chuckle. "How is that possible? OK, if you want to eject me, can I at least shoot my two free throws? And it was a flagrant (committed against Dampier)? But the result of that play is they kick me out?"

Strange, indeed. The referees were convinced Dampier threw an elbow and went to the videotape to review the play, but did so before they had decided Aaron Brooks was responsible for a flagrant foul-penalty 1 against Dampier. Flagrant foul-penalty 2 infractions can be reviewed, but not penalty 1 flagrants.

The Mavericks were convinced that the elbow officials said Dampier threw was not discovered until the review, which they say never should have happened.

"I think it was a nice Christmas present from the refs to me," said Dampier, who said it was the first ejection of his career. "Somebody grabs you from behind and pulls you down. They said it looked like I threw an elbow, but I didn't. He pulled me in a way that my momentum took me to the right and made it look like I threw an elbow. But I didn't. I think it was a wrong call and it really could have been a difference in the game.

"You could tell watching their review and how long it took them to go over it three or four times that nothing good was going to come out of it. I mean, I'm thinking he's going to review the foul and all of the sudden he says there's a T on No. 25 and he's ejected. I didn't really understand it. But we're not going to blame the game on that one call."

The Mavericks were fortunate to get to overtime and didn't make enough plays in the extra period to win. But the elbow call on Dampier, not to mention a clear-path foul on Jason Terry and a discrepancy on how much time was left when the ball went out of bounds on the last possession of regulation, all were part of the Mavericks' protest.

The league had no comment other than to say the protest had not been filed.

"The only thing I'll say is they'll get it right in New York," coach Rick Carlisle said of the league office's review. "They (the referees) indicated some things, but so as not to lead to further confusion, I won't repeat what they said.

"I'm not going to spend money (get fined) talking about what those guys did or didn't do. If there were wrong calls, technicals will be rescinded and whatever happens, happens. Everyone's money is better spent doing something else."