Watch: LeBron James calls timeout on loose ball, causing major refereeing blunder
LeBron James generated some controversy during the LA Lakers' in-season tournament quarterfinal game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Late in the fourth quarter, following an inbound pass to Austin Reaves, James called for a timeout as the Suns forced a turnover.
However, the ball was already loose. As such, a timeout shouldn't have been granted, as the Lakers were no longer in possession, and the Suns were playing with an advantage. If the referees had spotted this, the Suns would have let the ball go out of bounds and had an in-bound play in the Lakers half.
Instead, the referees made a mistake and granted LeBron James' timeout call, much to the chagrin of fans in the crowd and ones watching at home around the world. Here's the video of the call:
The decision to award the Lakers the timeout will be a controversial talking point in the coming days.
By awarding the Lakers the opportunity to regroup and saving them from a turnover, the referees provided a pivotal swing moment. The Suns could have run a set action on the inbounds to generate a scoring opportunity. Instead, they were back on defense despite having forced a turnover.
Suns fans will have a right to feel aggrieved. The quarterfinal of the in-season tournament is a knockout game. If you lose, you're out. Mistakes like the one the referees made in this instance could be the difference between progressing and heading for Las Vegas or being eliminated.
LeBron James wills the LA Lakers to victory
The LA Lakers are heading to Las Vegas. The purple and gold won their quarterfinal contest against the Phoenix Suns 106-103. LeBron James was once again the Lakers' star player, making an impact on both ends of the floor and keeping pace with Kevin Durant as one of the best players on the floor.
LeBron ended the game with 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and five steals, shooting 48% and 50% from the field. If there's one thing you can always rely on, it's that LeBron is going to turn up his intensity during win-or-go-home situations.
Even at age 38, LeBron James is still a significant force that most defenses are helpless to defend. When he's getting downhill, he's virtually impossible to stop. His wealth of experience also allows him to manipulate defenders and find scoring opportunities in the tightest of spaces.
The Lakers face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday in the in-season tournament semifinals. The winner will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or Indiana Pacers in the final.