— After a heartbreaking 101-99 loss in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, LeBron James was one of several Los Angeles Lakers players to criticize the officiating during his postgame comments.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest,” James said.
James has voiced his displeasure with the league’s replay process several times this season, such as when his foot was ruled to be on the 3-point line in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and out of bounds in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.
On Monday night in Denver, he specifically took issue with a shooting foul called against Michael Porter Jr. on D’Angelo Russell late in the third quarter that was overturned after Nuggets coach Michael Malone challenged the call.
“D-Lo clearly gets hit in the face on a drive,” James said. “What the f— do we have a replay center for if it’s going to go [like that]? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
Russell was seemingly in agreement, writing on X after the game, “That’s a foul we all saw it on national television.”
L.A. led 79-69 with 39.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter when the foul was overturned, erasing two free throw attempts for Russell. The Lakers point guard shot 82.8% from the free throw line this season.
The missed opportunity for two points became that much more consequential with the way the game ended: Jamal Murray‘s fadeaway jumper on the baseline from 16 feet away as time expired delivered Denver a two-point win and 2-0 series lead.
Crew chief Scott Foster announced over the public address system that Porter’s contact was “marginal,” and the call was overturned.
A Lakers source told ESPN that James’ foul on Murray with 57.1 seconds left, which rewarded the Nuggets guard two free throws that tied the game 97-97, also could be considered “marginal contact.”
“It makes no sense to me,” James continued. “It bothers me. … And then I just saw what happened with the Sixers-Knicks game too. Like, what are we doing?”
As James (26 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) got up from the podium and headed toward the exit, he added, “It’s f—ing stupid.”
While L.A. had a 19-6 advantage in free throw attempts in Game 1, Denver had a 17-13 edge in attempts in Game 2.