Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took issue with the referees after his team lost Game 2 to the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers were ahead by 20 points in the third quarter, but the Nuggets didn't give up and with the support of their home crowd, managed to stay in the game. With the score tied, James missed an open 3-pointer with 16 seconds left. On the other end, Jamal Murray made the game-winning shot over Anthony Davis as time expired.
James openly criticized the referees, particularly about a reversed call by the replay center late in the third quarter.
“I don’t understand what’s happening in the replay center, to be honest. … D-Lo clearly gets hit in the face on a drive. What the f— do we have a replay center for if it’s going to go [like that]. It doesn’t make sense to me,” James said. “It bothers me. … And then I just saw what happened with the Sixers-Knicks game too. Like, what are we doing? … It’s f—ing stupid.”
Ham also criticized the referees, pointing out inconsistencies from the regular season to the playoffs.
“Some tough calls. Some tough non-calls. But you can’t use any of that as an excuse,” Ham said. “You gotta go out there and be ready to make plays whether the whistle gets blown or not. It’s getting real tricky — you go through the season, games being officiated one way, and then you get to the playoffs, and I guess it’s left up to the interpretation of the three individual guys that’s doing the job out there.”
Darvin Ham’s Comments Questioned by Charles Barkley
Getty ImagesLakers coach Darvin Ham questioned the officiating after losing Game 2 to the Nuggets.
The Lakers took 13 free throws compared to the Nuggets’ 17. However, there did not seem to be any major missed calls towards the end of the game.
James was called for a somewhat questionable foul against Murray with less than a minute left, leading to free throws that tied the game at 97. But the Lakers had a challenge and chose not to use it.
Hall of Famer and TNT talking head Charles Barkley disagreed with Ham’s opinion after watching the clip.
“The officials had nothing to do with that game. This is all about the Denver Nuggets,” Barkley said. “Obviously, when you give up a 20-point lead, you have to make some mistakes. But [the Lakers] made every play down the stretch, and so did the Nuggets. It had nothing to do with the officiating. Give the Nuggets credit. Them boys balled out.”
Darvin Ham to Lakers: ‘We Need to Give Them This Feeling’
Getty ImagesLakers guard D’Angelo Russell improved his performance in Game 2.
The Lakers have now lost 10 consecutive games to the Nuggets, including six consecutive playoff games. The Nuggets defeated the Lakers in last year’s Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers are behind 0-2 against the defending champions, but Ham still believes his team can turn it around.
“It stings. Remember this feeling as we go back to LA. We need to give them this feeling in Game 3,” Ham said.
Despite the loss, the Lakers had some positives. D’Angelo Russell had one of his best postseason games as a member of the Lakers. He made 7-of-11 3-pointers, overcoming some of his previous difficulties in Denver. Russell ended with 23 points and 6 assists.
James and Davis also made a significant contribution. James scored 26 points with 12 assists and 8 rebounds, doing most of his impact in the fourth quarter. Davis made 32 points on 14-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday in Los Angeles.
