LeBron James was visibly frustrated after the Los Angeles Lakers’ defeat to the Denver Nuggets, directing his anger towards the NBA’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey. His frustration stemmed from the reversal of a foul call against Michael Porter Jr. during the second half, where the league judged the contact on D’Angelo Russell to be minimal.
Despite the Lakers squandering a 20-point lead and James missing a critical late 3-pointer, it was the officiating ruling that fueled his dissatisfaction. With the series shifting to Los Angeles and the Lakers trailing 2-0, James openly expressed confusion and disappointment with the replay system, questioning both its efficacy and the reasoning behind its decisions.
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Following the Lakers’ loss to Murray and the Nuggets, who staged a comeback from a 20-point deficit to notch their 10th straight win over the Lakers, James was notably reserved in his postgame interview. Despite having a chance to put the Los Angeles Lakers ahead with a wide-open 3-pointer around 16 seconds before the end, James expressed frustration as the shot rimmed out.
He registered 26 points and 12 assists in the game. After Porter grabbed the rebound, Murray secured the victory with a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper over Anthony Davis. LeBron James provided succinct responses during the interview:
- Regarding Denver’s comeback, during which the Lakers were outscored 32-20 in the fourth quarter, James attributed it to missed shots despite still generating good looks, while acknowledging Denver’s effective execution.
- Reflecting on D’Angelo Russell’s improved performance, with seven 3-pointers made after a tough series opener, James conveyed unwavering confidence in him, affectionately referring to him as “D-Lo.”
- When asked about potential takeaways from the game heading into Game 3 in Los Angeles, James stressed the uniqueness of each game and the distinct challenges they present.
After a tough loss, James acknowledged the difficulty, saying, “It’s a tough game to swallow, especially losing in that manner.” His frustration with the replay center became evident when Murray was initially called for a foul as James drove to the hoop, only for the Nuggets to challenge successfully, resulting in the foul being rescinded.
In his critique of the replay center, LeBron James referred back to Monday’s game, where the New York Knicks clinched a dramatic 104-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He highlighted a key play where the Knicks secured a crucial 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo with 13 seconds left, a sequence initiated by a steal from Tyrese Maxey.
Joel Embiid argued that Maxey was fouled and claimed that coach Nick Nurse and some players had attempted to call a timeout before the Knicks took possession. Expressing his frustration, James concluded his postgame interview by asking, “What’s the reasoning behind these decisions?”
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