LeBron James should have had two chances to win Saturday’s road game in Boston from the foul line at the end of regulation, but a critical missed call sent the game to overtime and led to intense backlash from fans and analysts alike across the league.
With the game tied at 105 and the clock running down, James drove to the basket and elevated for a layup. He was hit on the arm by Boston’s Jayson Tatum. The officiating crew, however, missed the contact and allowed play to continue, and the clock wound down to send the game to overtime. Boston went on to win, 125-121.
With the Lakers in the heat of the playoff race in the Western Conference, every win and loss has significant consequences — and the replays showed that the contact to James’ arm was obvious.
This is one of the worst non calls I’ve seen. Literally cost @KingJames & #Lakers #SMH pic.twitter.com/6IqIGYWrbm
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) January 29, 2023
Patrick Beverley later brought a camera to an official to provide evidence that James was fouled, and was promptly assessed a technical foul.
Here’s what fans and analysts were saying about Saturday’s game: