Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took to social media to express his disappointment with the successful coach's challenge that ultimately led to their 121-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Shooting guard CJ McCollum, however, quickly replied to Cuban and offered up his two cents.
Cuban questioned whether or not there was enough evidence to overturn the call. McCollum then assured him of the outcome, while noting that the review just worked in their favor.
Good defense , clean strip. Review worked in our favor tonight. I’m sure it’ll come back around for y’all. https://t.co/UxQrby75lr
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) October 28, 2019
The NBA made headlines this offseason with their decision to allow one challenge per game for coaches. It is safe to say that this may have been the first one that actually had an impact on the outcome of the game.
Forward Dorian Finney-Smith was positioned for a potential game-winning putback until he was fouled by point guard Damian Lillard. Head coach Terry Stotts managed to save his challenge for the perfect time, as further reviews concluded that Lillard had managed to strip the ball before making contact. This allowed Portland to win the ensuing jump ball before securing the game.
Although Cuban's frustration may be understandable, there is certainly plenty of truth to McCollum's comments. It is a play that very well could have gone either way, which may be why the Blazers star indicated that it will soon work in the Mavs' favor.
McCollum certainly did his part to help secure the win by going off for 35 points on 50 percent shooting from the field. He was also able to tack on six rebounds and four assists to help move Portland to 2-1 on the 2019-20 NBA season.
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