The Los Angeles Lakers have been on the mistaken finish of some high-profile officiating miscues of late. The newest was LeBron James clearly getting fouled by Jayson Tatum on a game-winning layup try in opposition to the Boston Celtics on Saturday (which the Final Two Minute Report confirmed the next day), solely to have the refs swallow their whistle and permit the sport to enter time beyond regulation, the place the Lakers misplaced.
A couple of weeks earlier, James was burned by a no-call on one other potential game-winning layup try in a double-overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks; the Final Two Minute Report confirmed that Christian Wooden certainly hacked LeBron with the rating tied and the ultimate seconds ticking down on the finish of the primary time beyond regulation.
For this reason LeBron was so furious after the missed name in Boston. He did not see it as a one-off. He noticed it, and certainly continues to see it, as a sample of the Lakers being disproportionately wronged by these late-game missed calls.
“It has been constructing,” James stated of his frustration. “You guys have seen among the video games we have misplaced this 12 months with late-game missed calls. We had a chance to actually win the sport. … I do not perceive what we’re doing. I watch basketball each single day. I watch these video games each single day, and I do not see it occurring to no person else. It is simply bizarre.”
It begs the query: Is LeBron proper? Are the Lakers really getting burned extra typically than different groups? Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports activities determined to research James’ claims by digging into each Final Two Minute Report issued this season, and on Tuesday he launched his findings.
Seems, LeBron is mistaken.
In keeping with Rohrbach’s report, the Lakers have been concerned in 34 incorrect calls/non-calls within the final two minutes this season, and 21 of them have gone of their favor. That is greater than 28 different groups. Certainly, solely the Mavericks have had extra whole incorrect whistles go their approach, with 23.
Put one other approach, of the 34 incorrect late-game calls which have impacted a Lakers sport, 61.8 % of them have benefitted the Lakers. Solely the Clippers, at 63.2 %, have had higher late-game luck.
Kudos to Rohrbach for doing the soiled work of digging via these experiences. Lots of people, myself included, had been beginning to purchase into LeBron’s case when in actual fact we had been being clouded by the high-profile ones which can be most up-to-date in our reminiscence.