The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets, snapping their recent momentum after winning seven of their last ten games. The spotlight of the game was on a pivotal moment in the final seconds, where a foul call on Anthony Davis sealed the game.
With five seconds left and the Lakers in possession, LeBron James sank a clutch three-pointer to bring the Lakers within one point. However, the play was waved off after officials called an offensive foul on Davis, who was screening Aaron Holiday.
After the game, Davis expressed frustration with the call, insisting that the foul should have gone against Holiday. “The last play, it was a terrible call,” Davis said, per McMenamin. “Holiday was grabbing my arm”.
He elaborated on the play, adding, “The ref said I grabbed him and threw him to the ground, but I was setting a screen on him, and he was flopping. He grabbed my arm and fell down, and they called an offensive foul. Those calls are not made at the end of a basketball game. It is what it is”.
JJ Redick echoes Davis’ frustration
Lakers head coach JJ Redick supported Davis’ stance, describing the controversial call as “egregious,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Adding to the Lakers’ frustrations, the team also took issue with a missed timeout request from LeBron James before the final possession.
James had signaled for a timeout after recognizing the Rockets’ defensive adjustments, but the referees failed to acknowledge it, leading to a turnover that put the Rockets up by four points.
LeBron James weighs in on the missed timeout
Postgame, James addressed the missed timeout, explaining why he tried to stop the play before it unfolded. “That’s why I called a timeout because I saw it go wrong,” LeBron explained.
“They played it good; they stayed on top of everything,” he continued. “I saw Fred [VanVleet] shoot the gap on me, and I called the timeout. Max [Christie] definitely still had the ball in his hand, but it wasn’t rewarded. That happens—we didn’t lose the game because of that.”