The Mavericks clawed their way to a 119-115 double-overtime victory against the Lakers on Thursday night. But the thrilling matchup didn’t come without some controversy.
The highly anticipated clash between LeBron James and Luka Dončić included seven missed calls in the final minutes, according to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report. However, among two no-calls on potential game-winning shots for L.A., one of them was deemed correct.
Lakers guard Troy Brown Jr.’s shot that was contested by Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. at the end of regulation, and according to the report, Hardaway “legally contested” Brown Jr.’s jumper and made contact with the ball in addition to the hand, resulting in no foul called. “Any high-five contact is considered incidental,” the report read.
Lebron James’s shot attempt with 2.9 seconds remaining in the first overtime during the contest saw a miss from the officials, though. Per the report, Mavericks forward Christian Wood “initiated contact” with James’s left arm before blocking his shot. As a result, Wood’s “illegal contact” affected James’s field goal attempt with the game tied.
Officials also missed a loose ball foul against Dončić on Lakers forward Wenyen Gabriel with 2.4 seconds left in overtime. Dončić’s contact to Gabriel’s arm affected his “ability to control the rebound,” the report stated. After the game, James did not shy away from expressing his thoughts about the officiating.
While Brown was going through a live interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James let his comments fly.
“No, it's a f---ing foul,”James said, per McMenamin. “It’s a foul. No matter what [Brown] says, it’s a f---ing foul. That s--- is blatant, and they should have called it.”
James was not the only person frustrated. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Thursday’s contest was the “worst officiated game” and that Dončić “gets no respect.”
The Mavs and Lakers will face off against each other two more times this season on Feb. 26 in Dallas and March 17 in Los Angeles. Hopefully, the officiating won’t be the main storyline the next two times these star-studded teams meet.
