4 times LA Lakers have lost in 2022-23 NBA season so far due to bad refereeing
The LA Lakers are currently 23-27 after their Saturday night loss to the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, they suffered another loss due to bad refereeing, which is entirely unacceptable.
The Lakers played in Boston against a team with the best record in the league. They were very close to winning the game, but they lost due to a bad non-call at the end of the game.
This is not the first time the LA Lakers have lost due to poor refereeing in the 2022-23 season. This article will reveal a few other games they could have won if it wasn't for poor judgment by the referees.
#1 - LA Lakers collapse against the Boston Celtics
LeBron James received the ball with 4.1 seconds left in the game against the Celtics. The four-time NBA champion decided to use his biggest strength, driving to the rim, to win the game.
With the game tied at 105, James attacked the basket and was surrounded by four defenders. Just before releasing the ball, the 20-year NBA veteran was fouled by Jayson Tatum but received no call.
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The game went into overtime, and the LA Lakers lost by five points. Had James received two free throws, he would have probably made one, as he was 5-for-6 on the night. Instead, the Lakers collapsed in overtime and lost a winnable game.
#2 - Three no-calls against the Dallas Mavericks
Facing Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks was another tough challenge for the LA Lakers earlier this year. The two teams met on Jan. 12, but the Mavericks won in double overtime.
The Lakers entered the fourth quarter down by six points, but they took the lead in just a few minutes. The last eight minutes of the quarter were very intense, and it all came down to the final shot attempt by Los Angeles.
With less than three seconds left in the game, Troy Brown Jr. received the ball from LeBron James but was seemingly fouled by Tim Hardaway Jr. on his 3-point attempt. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Brown Jr. received no calls, and the game went into overtime.
The NBA found no mistakes in officiating with its Last Two Minute Report. The Mavericks guard legally contested the shot, but any "high five" contact is considered incidental and is not a foul.
At the end of the first overtime period, the game was tied at 108, and LeBron decided to take things into his own hands. He drove to the rim and was blocked by Christian Wood with 2.8 seconds left in the game.
In the video above, you can watch LeBron's drive at the 5:38 mark.
The NBA concluded that this was a foul. Furthermore, Wenyen Gabriel was fouled by Luka Doncic after grabbing a rebound after Wood's block on James.
#3 - LA Lakers fall to the Philadelphia 76ers
Three days after losing to the Mavericks, the LA Lakers hosted the Philadelphia 76ers, another tough team. The Sixers had a four-point lead with 45 seconds left in the game, but Troy Brown Jr.'s 3-point shot brought the Lakers closer to them.
After a defensive stop, Russell Westbrook grabbed a rebound and had a chance to win the game. The Lakers point guard was defended by Joel Embiid, who did a fantastic job on the perimeter.
Embiid, a fantastic defender, did not let Westbrook beat him off the dribble. He successfully contested the shot, making the former MVP miss a potential game-winner.
Westbrook complained that Embiid fouled him by grabbing his hand on the drive. However, the NBA found no incorrect calls or non-calls at the end of the game in their Last Two Minute Report.
#4 - Potential 4-point play by LA Lakers ruined by referees
The LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings have had several fantastic duels in the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, NBA referees did not do a good job officiating their Jan. 18 matchup.
The Kings were up 112-108 with 12 seconds left in the game. LeBron James received the ball before passing it to Kendrick Nunn, who knocked down a 3-point shot to cut the Kings' lead to a point.
Despite making the shot, the Lakers guard was unhappy since De'Aaron Fox fouled him. The NBA admitted their mistake in the Last Two Minute Report, saying that the Kings star stepped forward and initiated contact with Nunn.
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Since they were still down, the Lakers had to commit an intentional foul, which ended up being a clear path foul in favor of the Kings. In the end, the Kings won the game 116-111.
Interestingly, this was one of the three wrong decisions by the referees that put the Lakers at a disadvantage. Wenyen Gabriel was fouled by rookie Keegan Murray with 1:46 left in the game and should have been awarded a free throw.
The NBA also declared that Richaun Holmes should have been called for a defensive 3-second violation with 1:12 left in the game. At this point, the Lakers were down by three points and should have received a free throw.