LeBron James and Lakers in disbelief over no-call in loss at Boston: ‘We got cheated’

Ham relied on his evidence, and the Lakers failed to succeed in overtime following LeBron James’ absence from the free-throw line at the conclusion of regulation on Saturday night in Boston.

They were unable to emerge victorious due to factors beyond their influence. Moreover, they deserved to be victorious. They performed sufficiently well to secure a win, and this sentiment was shared by both the Lakers’ coach and their key players following their 125-121 defeat against Boston.

Ham stated, “Avoiding blaming the referees is getting more challenging.” “During this match, there were numerous aspects where we could have performed better, but overall, we gave our maximum effort, played correctly, collaborated, maintained our assertiveness, performed defensively, and focused on playing near the basket. It is regrettable that the game concluded with a play of that nature,” he further commented.

“We were deceived,” stated Anthony Davis, the forward.

A penalty should’ve been called on the game, the referees should’ve blown the whistle, stated crew chief Eric Lewis afterwards. The Lakers were promptly notified by NBA officiating personnel following the match, sources not permitted to publicly comment mentioned.

He informed a pool journalist, “There was interaction.” “We did not witness a violation throughout the game, at that moment. The team overlooked the play.”

When asked about the game, Jayson Tatum from Boston, who made contact with James’s arm, grinned.

“That’s everything I have to express regarding that,” he stated. “Need to progress and we acquired the victory. Everything occurred swiftly. I believe I must observe the game, examine the footage. The final two minutes and overtime were a haze. I am not truly aware of what occurred.”

The Lakers should have learned from James’ potential game-winner without a month going by. It’s the second time in overtime that they lost to Dallas, after a drive in the first overtime. James should have thrown a free shot. The Lakers also granted a potential game-tying free throw when Kendrick Nunn made a three against Sacramento on Jan. 18, with less than 10 seconds left.

James expressed, “There has been a growing frustration since the game. Because you all witnessed some of the matches we have lost this year due to incorrect calls made towards the end of the game. We had a real chance to emerge victorious. Personally, this is the second time in recent weeks that I had such an opportunity, like against Dallas when I could have won through a foul call. Just the other day, K-Nunn had a chance to equalize the game if the referees recognized it as a four-point play. I am perplexed by this situation.”

I don’t understand what we’re doing. I watch basketball every single day. I watch games every single day. I don’t see anything else happening. It’s just strange.

In the game, Boston scored a combined total of 23 points for both Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum made six attempts at free throws. James ended the game with an impressive stat line of 41 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

“The most exceptional player on the globe cannot receive a call,” Ham expressed. “It’s astounding.”

The whistle came late, and Beverley, Patrick’s guard, felt that they were saying the Lakers’ putback and-one on James was a no-call before Brown tied the score.

Tatum played a significant role, especially in the final minute, by making a go-ahead dunk and hitting three crucial shots. Beverley especially contributed by harassing and making a huge impact.

However, the Lakers failed to take sufficient action to prevent a non-call from becoming significant.

During his second match since his comeback, Davis faced challenges as he could only manage to accumulate 16 points without any successful steals or blocks. Consequently, he ended up with the team’s lowest score at minus-16.

Beverley, who was set to be the hero of the game, missed a free throw in the final minute of the fourth quarter that cost the Lakers the win against Boston and Philadelphia earlier in the season. The miss from the free throw line, like many others, kept them from icing the game.

After regulation, Beverley took a camera and instantly showed an image of James getting fouled, while giving a free point at the line to the Celtics, resulting in an instant technical called on the official.

“There are many things we can improve upon,” Ham said.

Westbrook had a difficult time against the Celtics, with the audience encouraging him to take shots. He missed his first 6 attempts before finally scoring his initial points from the free-throw line and remained on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Furthermore, uncertainties persist regarding Russell Westbrook.

Following a blatant foul call, Westbrook ignited the Lakers by making a tip-in basket while also drawing a foul during overtime. He successfully converted the resulting free throw, as well as two additional ones.

After the game, he declined to speak to reporters. A reverse layup and, on the next possession, a missed corner three, then.

In his most effective shooting performance of the season, guard Lonnie Walker IV returned to contribute 13 points as a substitute, bringing the Lakers (23-27) one step closer to being fully fit.

James achieved a score of 40 or higher for the fifth occasion since reaching the age of 38 on December 30th.

However, they were given the opportunity to express their complaints after the game.

One thing Ham didn’t desire was another apology given after the fact.

He expressed his disdain for the “two-minute report,” stating that it is of no benefit to anyone and that their efforts should be directed towards improving in various aspects of the game and focusing on what they can control.