The Dallas Mavericks notched one in every of their most dramatic wins of the season on Thursday with a double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, however not with out some controversy alongside the best way.
That controversy wasn’t softened when the NBA launched its Last Two Minute Report a day later.
Neither workforce was thrilled with the sport’s officiating, however the Lakers had been particularly incensed when their comeback got here simply wanting ending the sport in regulation. The greatest level of competition was a would-be game-winner by Lakers wing Troy Brown Jr., which was blocked by the Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr. to ship the sport to time beyond regulation.
LeBron James was particularly livid. Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Brown supplied a diplomatic reply to reporters within the Lakers locker room after the sport, however when a reporter adopted up with referee Joshua Tiven’s clarification — particularly that Hardaway solely made “excessive 5 contact,” which is authorized — James chimed in from 20 toes away:
“No, it is a f***ing foul,” James stated strongly for everybody within the room to listen to. “It’s a foul. No matter what [Brown] says, it is a f***ing foul. That s*** is blatant, and they need to have known as it.”
Not the phrases from a person completely happy about shedding a recreation 119-115 and falling to 19-23 on the season. It would have been a intestine punch of a recreation even with good officiating, as Luke Doncic hit final-minute 3-pointers to pressure each the primary and second time beyond regulation.
The NBA confirmed the officiating was off a day later, simply not how James and the Lakers may need hoped. The Last Two Minute Report recognized a whopping seven calls and no-calls missed by the officers within the remaining two minutes of regulation and each time beyond regulation intervals, however affirmed the no-call on Hardaway was appropriate.
The NBA’s clarification backed Tiven’s feedback after the sport:
Hardaway Jr. (DAL) legally contests Brown Jr.’s (LAL) bounce shot try and makes contact with the ball. Any “high-five” contact is taken into account incidental.
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If the Lakers needed one thing to really feel angrier about, the league admitted the officers missed two calls on the identical possession on the finish of the primary time beyond regulation. With lower than 15 seconds remaining, James drove to the basket whereas being guarded by Doncic, however was blocked by a serving to Christian Wood. A scramble for the ball resulted in Doncic recovering it to pressure double time beyond regulation.
In the L2M Report, the NBA famous Wood “initiates contact to James’ left arm earlier than blocking the shot,” whereas Doncic initiated contact with Wenyen Gabriel, which “impacts his potential management the rebounds.” Basically, two fouls had been missed on one shot.
Of course, the Lakers benefited from some officiating misadventures too. All 5 of the opposite missed calls within the Report benefited Los Angeles, with Mavericks proprietor Mark Cuban calling the efficiency the “worst officiated recreation” on Twitter.
LeBron James had some phrases for the officers after the Lakers misplaced in double time beyond regulation to the Mavericks. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
