The referees lost the lack of the Luka Doncic of Los Angeles Lakers with 33 seconds in game 4 of their playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA said on Monday.
The Lakers fell 114-113 in Sunday’s game when Doncic was stumbled upon the student, it seemed to be unnoticed by Jaden McDaniels from Minnesota, about half of the court. Doncic retained possession when he hit the floor and the Lakers called Time-Out to avoid a rape of 8 seconds.
That was one of the two breeding offenses that arrived late at the playoffs of one point on Sunday, the other is Josh Heart of New York that foubled Tim Hardaway Jr of Detroit. In an attempt of 3 points when time expired in game 4 of that series. Hardaway did not get free shots and the Knicks won that game 94-93, and the NBA said shortly after that game that Hardaway really received a foul.
“McDaniels … advances towards the road … The NBA throws those reports the day after the games where the margin is three points or less at any time in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and the exaggerated time.
Doncic said it more directly. “They stumbled for me, sure,” he said.
If the fault had been called, Doncic would have gone to the foul line with the opportunity to tie the game or give the advantage to the Lakers. Instead, Minnesota stole the entrance pass by LeBron James and Anthony Edwards made two free throws with 10.9 seconds for an advantage of 116-113.
That work also increased the anger of the Lakers, with James saying that he put Edwards in his hand and caused what he thought should be a turnover. The NBA reviewed that work in real time and saw that James hit Edwards on the wrist, which he considered a foul.
“That play happens all the time,” James said after the game. “Hand is part of the ball. That’s what they said. I feel that the hand was part of that ball.”
Austin Reaves of the Lakers lost what could have been a game of a triple in the final play of the game, and Minnesota won by three.
The Knicks and the Timberwolves took the advantages 3-1 after Sunday’s victories. Detroit is in New York for game 5 of that series on Tuesday, and the Lakers receive Minnesota in game 5 of that series on Wednesday.
Associated Press reports.
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