LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers brings the ball upcourt against the Memphis Grizzlies.Photo:Justin Ford/Getty
Justin Ford/Getty
LeBron Jamesand the Los Angeles Lakers are officially headed to the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.
James, 38, called a controversial timeout in the last moments of the tournament’s quarterfinals on Tuesday to snag a win over the Phoenix Suns, but some analysts and fans were upset with the call, claiming that Lakers' Austin Reaves wasn’t in possession of the ball when James signaled for the timeout.
“We have an opportunity to compete for something, so why not? You’ve got the greatest competitors in the world fighting for something, so let’s fight.”
Suns star Booker, 27, and head coach Frank Vogel were especially upset with the officiating in Tuesday’s loss.
Booker took to Instagram moments after the final buzzer to question the call that ultimately sealed the win for Los Angeles.
The NBA All-Star posted a now-deleted screenshot to his story from the moment James called the timeout, which showed the ball was still in between his and Reaves' possession.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns.Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty
After the game, Bookertoldreporters, “You know what happened. The whole world seen it. I just got off social media, and other players around the league saw it. We’re not asking for favoritism. We’re asking for a fair chance.”
During his postgame media availability, Coach Vogel said, “You can’t call timeout on a loose ball,” and called the referees' decision “extremely disappointing.”
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Next, the Lakers will head to Las Vegas to play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The winner of that matchup will advance to the Final on Saturday, where they’ll play the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers matchup.
source: people.com
