LeBron James was fuming after the Los Angeles Lakers let a fantastic chance pass them by.
His anger was less about missing opportunities to cut a 20-point lead. or his game-tying, late, failed 3-point attempt that rimmed out. Or Monday night’s fadeaway buzzer-beater by Jamal Murray, which lifted the Denver Nuggets to a 101-99 victory against the Lakers in Game 2 of their first-round series.
James was enraged at something farther away: the NBA’s Secaucus, New Jersey, replay center. The league overturned Michael Porter Jr.’s second-half foul, which was the source of his ire, claiming MPJ made very slight contact with D’Angelo Russell.
James, whose team is behind 2-0 going into Game 3 on Thursday, added, “I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest.” It’s evident that D-Lo is struck in the face while driving. We have a replay center, what the (expletive) do we have? It makes no sense. It is illogical. I find it bothersome.
After seeing Murray and the Nuggets rally from a 68-48 deficit to win the Lakers for the tenth time in a row, James wasn’t his normal talkative self in the postgame interview.
With about 16 seconds remaining, James had a clear-cut opportunity to put the Lakers ahead with a 3-pointer.
James, who finished with 26 points and 12 assists, bemoaned being “rimmed out.”
As time ran out, Porter seized the rebound, setting up Murray for the game-winning fadeaway jumper over Anthony Davis.
Following the game, James got straight to the point.
Regarding Denver’s comeback, which saw them lose the fourth quarter 32–20, the player said, “We missed shots.” We simply missed them, but we still received amazing looks. And they succeeded.
Regarding Russell’s seven 3-pointers following his one-for-nine performance from deep in the series opener: “We never lost faith in him.” D-Lo is what D-Lo is.
— “Every game is its own challenge,” when asked if the Lakers can learn anything from this one heading into Game 3 in Los Angeles.
“Of course it’s a heartbreaking game and you don’t want to lose in that fashion,” the player said, addressing the difficulties that follow a devastating defeat.
James started complaining about the replay center at that point. When James drove to the hoop earlier in the game, Murray was called for a foul; however, the Nuggets successfully challenged to have the foul waived.
James brought up Monday’s previous game, in which the New York Knicks rallied in the last 30 seconds to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-101 in a wild triumph, in his tirade at the replay center. With 13 seconds remaining, Donte DiVincenzo of the Knicks made the game-winning 3-pointer. The possession began after Tyrese Maxey’s ball was stolen. Joel Embiid said that in addition to Maxey being fouled, coach Nick Nurse and a few other players had tried to call a timeout prior to the Knicks receiving the ball.
“What are we doing?” James stated as his post-game interview came to an end.
