LeBron James expressed his strong opinions on the officiating during the Lakers’ 101-99 loss against the Nuggets in Game 2. James mentioned a controversial call that went in D’Angelo Russell’s favor during the second half. Russell experienced a blow to the head courtesy of Michael Porter Jr. Nevertheless, the Nuggets emerged victorious in that challenge when Scott Foster reversed the call.
Foster described it as a “marginal contact.” James was extremely angry after the game due to that decision. He publicly criticized the league official and replay center, expressing his frustration:
Here’s the foul called against Russell that got overturned:
Kendrick Perkins demands that LeBron James be held accountable.
Although the officiating may have played a role in certain situations, it was not the only factor contributing to the Lakers’ loss. Kendrick Perkins highlighted this observation following LeBron James’ passionate criticism of the officials during “X.” He expressed his disappointment with James and the Lakers for squandering a 20-point advantage, stating:
“I understand Bron frustration with the Refs but come on man… the Lakers smoked a 20 point lead. The prime example on why you can’t leave the game in the officials hands.”
The Lakers once again experienced a collapse in the second half, similar to their loss in Game 1 and most of the other eight losses they suffered against Denver during their 10-game losing streak. The team led by LeBron James had a strong advantage of 20 points at the beginning of the third quarter, but unfortunately, they were unable to maintain their lead and lost it towards the end of the game. In the final 24 minutes, the Lakers only managed to score 40 points, shooting at a 40.5% accuracy.
They allowed a whopping 57 points on an impressive 54.8% shooting from Denver. The Nuggets regained their dominance in rebounding, outperforming their opponents by a margin of +8 on the boards. In the first half, the Lakers dominated, taking a commanding 59-44 lead while shooting an impressive 56.1% from the field.
