Golden State Warriors secured a 128-121 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that was marked by unusual delays in the final minutes. The last 2 minutes and 7 seconds of the game turned into a 22-minute ordeal due to extended replay reviews and a malfunctioning shot clock.
The chaos ensued when a 3-pointer by LeBron James was initially counted, pulling the Lakers within 124-120. However, a challenge revealed that James had stepped out of bounds before taking the shot, nullifying the basket. Despite scoring 40 points, James expressed disbelief at the call, stating that he was certain he had not stepped out of bounds.
Officials explained that the review on James' shot was initiated during the first stoppage in play, following the rules outlined in the NBA rulebook. While the reversal favored the Warriors, coach Steve Kerr criticized the excessive use of replay, suggesting that it disrupts the flow of the game.
Stephen Curry, on the other hand, saw the positive side of the reversal, humorously commenting that extending the lead without effort was a welcome outcome.
Following another challenge on an out-of-bounds play, the shot clock malfunctioned with 1:35 remaining, causing further delays. Despite multiple attempts by the Lakers to inbound the ball, the malfunction prompted officials to halt play until the issue was resolved.
After a nearly 10-minute delay, with fans expressing their frustration through boos, the game eventually resumed with the shot clock being manually counted down by the PA announcer at key intervals.
Overall, the game between the Warriors and Lakers was marred by unprecedented delays and technical issues, highlighting the challenges that can arise in the fast-paced world of professional basketball.
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