A story that is becoming all too familiar with the Los Angeles Lakers is the referees missing a crucial call late, costing the team a game.
It happened again on Saturday night when the Lakers were playing the top-seeded Boston Celtics tough on the road. With the game tied with four seconds to play, LeBron James aggressively took the ball to the basket. As he went up for the game-winning layup attempt as the clock expired, James was smacked on the arm by Jayson Tatum, forcing him to miss the shot.
LeBron was fouled on the play but again, nothing was called and the game was sent to overtime. James was clearly frustrated with the no-call, dropping to the floor in dismay.
It only took one replay to tell that James was absolutely fouled, but the play was not reviewable and the game went to overtime. The Lakers then started the overtime period at a deficit after Patrick Beverley was called for a technical foul.
After the game came back from a commercial, no one was sure why Beverley was given a technical. Once the replay came out though, it was revealed that Beverley actually brought a camera onto the court to show the referee the call he had just missed:
Patrick Beverley really brought a camera out to the floor ? pic.twitter.com/7hMugg7BaN
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 29, 2023
While getting a technical in that situation was unfortunate timing considering there was still game left to be played, and the Lakers eventually went on to lose in overtime, it’s hard to fault Beverley for being frustrated in the moment.
This marks the fourth time in the last two weeks alone that officials have missed key calls that hurt the Lakers at the end of games. For a team that is 23-27 and fighting for a postseason spot, to have four wins taken away can be crucial down the road.
It did not take long for the league to admit its mistake as in the pool report after the game, the referee said that a foul should have been called. That won’t change the outcome though, so the Lakers will have to accept another tough loss and move forward looking for a win on Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
Beverley had arguably best individual game of season
Also part of what had to get Beverley so frustrated is that he was having one of his best individual games for the Lakers this season, making some huge plays down the stretch that should have contributed to a win.
Beverley finished with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals, hitting some crucial 3-pointers late in addition to a putback dunk that had everyone watching the game in shock. Beverley has played a lot better as of late, which is good to see after his slow start to the year.
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