WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Dallas Mavericks saw their protest of the 116-108 overtime loss to the Houston Rockets denied by NBA commissioner David Stern on Tuesday.

    The Mavericks argued that the referees had improperly called a technical foul on center Erick Dampier following an instant replay review with 1:01 left in overtime of the Dec. 18 game. Because it was Dampier's second technical foul, he was ejected.

    Stern ruled on Tuesday that the decision to give Dampier a technical was a judgment call, not a misapplication of the rules, which can't be protested under NBA rules.