Rockets want double-OT loss to Spurs overturned

The Houston Rockets lost a double-overtime thriller to the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night, but the team is reportedly hoping the league will change it to a victory after the referees admitted blowing a call.

The play in question occurred with 7:50 left in regulation, when the Rockets’ James Harden dunked so hard on a breakaway the ball appeared to not make it through the net.

The dunk would have given the Rockets a 104-89 lead.

“When the play happened, Harden goes in for a dunk and then the ball appears to us to pop back through the net,” crew chief James Capers said afterward. “When that happens, that is basket interference. To have a successful field goal, it must clear the net. We have since come in here and looked at the play. He dunked it so hard the net carried it back over the rim a second time, so in fact it did clear the net and should have been a successful field goal.”

Capers added while the Rockets were protesting, the 30-second window for requesting a challenge passed.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni insisted he tried to challenge it.

“They said the ball hit James and went back through (the hoop), so it was goaltending on James, so I said, ‘I challenge that,’ ” D’Antoni said. “I didn’t get a response.”

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said the Rockets are hopeful the league will either reverse the result or allow for the final 7:50 of regulation to be replayed.

According to ESPN, the last time part of a game was replayed was in 2008 when officials incorrectly ruled Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal had fouled out with 51.9 seconds remaining in an overtime loss to Atlanta. They replayed the final 51.9 seconds before their next game, though the Heat still lost.