LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third defeat in a row after falling to the Atlanta Hawks 134-132 in overtime on Friday night. The match was sent to an extra period after LeBron hit a game-tying layup with 12 seconds remaining in regulation, the final points of the fourth quarter.
In overtime, with the Lakers up one point, Hawks star Trae Young hit a 24-foot three-point shot to give Atlanta a two-point advantage with eight seconds left. LeBron attempted more heroics as he shot a long-range bomb of his own with a second remaining in hopes of retaking the lead. But the shot missed, and the Hawks secured the victory.
On Saturday, the NBA released its last two-minute report for both the fourth quarter and overtime for the Lakers’ latest loss. Only two plays were deemed inaccurate, and one could have helped Los Angeles secure a much-needed win. With just over a minute remaining in OT and Los Angeles holding a 130-129 lead, Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson parked in the paint for well over three seconds without guarding anyone.
Normally, this would be called a three-second violation, giving the Lakers a free throw shot and the ball back. Instead, guard Gabe Vincent forced up a tough floater and bricked it, handing the ball to the Hawks.
“Johnson (ATL) straddles the lane line and is in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent,” the NBA wrote in the L2M report.
The other non-call the NBA admitted they got wrong was right before LeBron hit the game-tying shot in the fourth quarter. The four-time NBA MVP jumped in the air and landed before making a pass to forward Anthony Davis, a should-have-been traveling violation.
“James (LAL) leaves his feet to pass and his right foot returns to the floor while he is still in possession of the ball,” the NBA added.
If the officials called this correctly during live action, the Hawks would have likely secured the victory with no overtime needed. Still, Atlanta got its sixth win in a row and jumped to 13-11 on the season. The Lakers, on the other hand, fall to 12-11 and will host the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday.
