Refs confirm missed foul call for LeBron at end of regulation vs. Celtics
Crew chief Eric Lewis acknowledged the referees missed a foul call on the last play of regulation between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
The NBA confirmed that Celtics star Jayson Tatum committed a shooting foul on LeBron James, which would have sent him to the free throw line for the potential game-winner, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"There was contact," Lewis said postgame. "At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul. The crew missed the play."
LEBRON CAN'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T CALL FOUL! pic.twitter.com/uKjOrbR0IY
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 29, 2023
Los Angeles went on to lose the contest 125-121 in overtime.
On Sunday, the National Basketball Referees Association made a statement on the missed call.
"Like everyone else, referees make mistakes. We made one at the end of last night’s game, and that is gut-wrenching for us. This play will weigh heavily and cause sleepless nights as we strive to be the best referees we can be."
James scored 41 points on 15-for-30 shooting in the defeat while contributing nine rebounds and eight assists, putting him 117 points from overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's leading scorer.
The Lakers star said frustration has been building over the season due to the amount of missed calls toward the end of games.
"I watch basketball every single day. I watch these games every single day. I don't see it happening to anybody else. It’s weird."
Lakers guard Patrick Beverley was assessed a technical foul at the end of regulation for bringing a camera to an official to show the foul.
Patrick Beverley grabbed a camera and walked across the court to show the ref the call he missed on LeBron.
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 29, 2023
He received a technical foul. pic.twitter.com/HBIQBblUi6
"It's unacceptable, and I guarantee nothing's going to happen to the refs," said star Anthony Davis. "We got cheated tonight, it's a blatant foul ... the refs were bad tonight."
Head coach Darvin Ham shared the same sentiment as his players.
"The best player on Earth can't get a call, it's amazing," Ham said, according to Southern California News Group's Kyle Goon.
"I don't want to see another last-two-minute report," Ham added, according to Goon. "They can save that."
Los Angeles takes on the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.