Commissioner David Stern of the National Basketball...

Commissioner David Stern of the National Basketball Assn. denied a protest by the Washington Bullets and let stand their 124-122 overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 12, despite agreeing that a game official erred.

The Bullets contended that with Detroit ahead, 108-107, and 40 seconds remaining in regulation time, referee Jim Capers improperly granted the Pistons a timeout while Dan Roundfield of the Bullets was at the free throw line for the second of two foul shots. The Bullets claimed Capers already had given the ball to Roundfield.

Though Stern agreed that Capers acted improperly, he concluded that the result of the game should not be overturned because of the action by the referee.