LeBron James has to be getting sick of losing to the Denver Nuggets. After being swept in last year’s playoffs, the Lakers find themselves in a 0-2 hole this year. In game 2, the Lakers were in control for most of the game, but the Nuggets went on a furious late-game run to win it. After the game, many of the Los Angeles players expressed their frustration with the officiating. The four-time MVP of the league didn’t hold back in the postgame.
LeBron James Rips Officiating
The call in question was at the end of the third quarter. Michael Porter Jr. was called for a foul on D’Angelo Russell in the final minute of the quarter. The call was challenged, and referee Scott Foster said the contact was “marginal,” and the call was overturned. LeBron James was not satisfied with the explanation.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest.”
“D-Lo clearly gets hit in the face on a drive. What the f— do we have a replay center for if it’s going to go [like that]? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Russell also took to social media to express his displeasure. Reports indicate that the Lakers were upset with similar foul calls against them that were not overturned. Overall, there was a lot of frustration with how the game was called. It isn’t necessarily a surprise that the game is being called differently. We see this every year in the playoffs. Players get fewer calls, and the game gets more physical.
Not A Great Look
Complaining about the officiating is never a great look, especially for a player like LeBron James. What is even worse is this call happened at the end of the third quarter. While it was a big moment, there was still a whole 12 minutes of gameplay left. LeBron James went 5 for 9 in the final quarter, while the rest of the team went 3 for 9. Shooting 8 for 18 down the stretch is not a winning recipe.
On the flip side, the Lakers defense allowed the Nuggets to hit their last seven shots. The officials didn’t miss the shots on offense. The officials didn’t allow the defense to bleed points. It comes down to this. The Nuggets out-executed the Lakers in the fourth quarter. LeBron James is frustrated that his quest for another championship is being squashed by a better team.
Final Thoughts
Did some calls screw the Lakers? Yes, absolutely. However, it wasn’t the reason they lost the game. If we were to go through the entire game, I’m sure there would be times when the Lakers would benefit from calls. These are the ebbs and flows of an NBA game. Blaming the officials for a loss where you blew a 15-point halftime lead and a ten-point fourth-quarter lead comes off as petty and whiny. Seeing how LeBron James and the Lakers respond in game three will be interesting.
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Matt Brown has been following sports since he was a kid. It does not matter what sport he is talking about; he tends to be an expert in it. When he is not glued to following sports, he is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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