[Saba Sports News] In a pivotal moment during their victory against the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly benefited from a controversial decision, which the game’s crew chief disagrees with. With only 11.2 seconds left in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals, the Lakers were ahead 105-103. Following a layup by Kevin Durant, which narrowed the gap to two points, the Lakers needed to inbound from under their basket.
LeBron James passed the ball to Austin Reaves, who was immediately challenged by the Suns’ defense. Reaves fumbled the ball, but the Lakers were granted a timeout, signaled by a referee’s whistle. However, replays seemed to indicate that Reaves had already lost the ball before LeBron signaled for a timeout.
Crew chief Josh Tiven, speaking to Jovan Buha of The Athletic post-game, maintained that slow-motion replays confirmed Reaves still technically had control of the ball. Tiven explained that during the game, officials believed the Lakers retained possession when James called for the timeout. He noted that a review of the video in slow motion showed Reaves had his left hand on the ball against his leg, which is considered control.
Many who viewed the replay contested this interpretation, noting the ball was already away from Reaves when the whistle was blown. Despite this, the Lakers kept the ball, leading to the Suns fouling them. Anthony Davis then scored a free throw, putting the Lakers ahead 106-103. Durant missed a potential game-tying three-pointer.
Suns coach Frank Vogel expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation given for the timeout decision and questioned why the play couldn’t be reviewed to determine if the whistle was inadvertent. Tiven indicated that even with a review, the decision wouldn’t have been altered.
Devin Booker expressed the sentiments of many regarding the incident in an Instagram post.