The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics served up an overtime thriller when the teams first met in December, and we got another one in the second meeting on Saturday night. If the referees had done their job correctly, though, this one wouldn’t have had the extra period.
The Lakers were up 105-102 with 14.1 seconds remaining, but Jaylen Brown tied things up with 4 seconds left. That meant the Lakers got the last shot, and LeBron James drove to the basket for the potential game-winner, but he missed it. James was furious after the play, however, as he thought he got fouled.
LeBron was not happy after this play to win the game. pic.twitter.com/FNMPBQTHox
— ESPN (@espn) January 29, 2023
You don’t see LeBron react in that fashion usually and replays showed that Jayson Tatum clearly fouled him there.
This is one of the worst non calls I’ve seen. Literally cost @KingJames & #Lakers #SMH pic.twitter.com/6IqIGYWrbm
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) January 29, 2023
We have seen LeBron be criticized over the years for not driving to the rim in late-game situations, but the referees don’t normally call obvious fouls in those critical moments, as we saw here, which is why he settles for jump shots.
LeBron James Has Been Very Critical Of The Referees This Season
The Lakers have been on the receiving end of some bad calls all season, and LeBron has not been happy with the referees. He stated that they are telling him that they’ve been missing calls and that he has been hearing that for the last couple of years.
He also expressed his frustration at questionable calls against the Lakers during this NBA season, and going by his reaction here, it wouldn’t be surprising if he unloads on them in his postgame media session. This call cost the Lakers a win, as the Celtics eventually came out on top in overtime. You can’t help but feel bad for James, who had a game-high 41 points to go with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. He has had some spectacular performances this season that have gone to waste, either due to poor play from his teammates or because the referees messed it up.
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