In the NBA's Western Conference, where just three games separate the No. 4 and No. 12 seeds, every game counts.
For the Dallas Mavericks -- and team governor Mark Cuban -- make that every bucket.
The Mavs fell to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night, 127-125, in a game that pushed Dallas into the No. 9 seed, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers and just a half-game ahead of fellow play-in contenders the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans.
But the Mavs will file a protest of the loss, Cuban told ESPN's Tim MacMahon Wednesday night, after what the team believes to be an officiating error late in the third quarter, when confusion about which team had possession of the ball led to an uncontested dunk by Warriors center Kevon Looney.