LeBron James was visibly frustrated after referees missed a foul on his potential game-winning layup, leading to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 125-121 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.
With the game tied at 105 and under three seconds remaining, James drove to the basket and was clearly hit on the arm by Jayson Tatum. However, the referees did not call a foul, sending the game into overtime.
James expressed his disbelief on the court, hopping around with his head in his hands. Teammate Patrick Beverley even grabbed a camera from a photographer to show the referee the missed call, which earned him a technical foul.
Despite scoring a game-high 41 points, along with nine rebounds and eight assists, James was furious after the game. “I don’t understand,” he said. “I don’t understand what we are doing and I watch basketball every single day. I watch these games every single day and I don’t see it happening to anyone else. It’s just weird.”
The Lakers’ frustration was heightened by what they perceived as a series of poor officiating decisions in recent close losses to the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers. “We got cheated tonight,” said Lakers power forward Anthony Davis. “It’s a blatant foul… It’s unacceptable to be honest. The refs were bad tonight.”
On the other side, Jaylen Brown scored 11 points in overtime to help the Celtics secure the win and end their three-game losing streak. Brown finished with 37 points, including a crucial three-pointer that tied the game with 4.1 seconds left in regulation. Jayson Tatum also contributed 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.