LeBron James simmered with frustration after the Los Angeles Lakers squandered a prime opportunity against the Denver Nuggets.
His vexation didn’t solely stem from relinquishing a 20-point lead, his own missed late-game shot, or Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beating heroics. It extended to the NBA’s replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, particularly regarding a crucial foul reversal involving Michael Porter Jr. and D’Angelo Russell.
“I’m baffled by the decisions from the replay center,” James vented, as the Lakers now face a daunting 2-0 series deficit heading back to Los Angeles. “Russell clearly took a hit to the face on the drive. Why even have a replay center if calls like that get overturned? It’s nonsensical. It’s frustrating.”
James, typically expansive in interviews, kept his remarks brief following the Lakers’ collapse from a 20-point advantage to a 101-99 defeat.
Reflecting on his own missed opportunity, a wide-open 3-pointer with around 16 seconds remaining, he lamented, “It just rimmed out.”
Porter seized the rebound, paving the way for Murray’s game-winning shot over Anthony Davis as time expired.
James, succinct yet pointed, addressed various aspects of the game:
- On Denver’s resurgence: “We missed shots. We had good looks, but we couldn’t convert. Credit to them, they capitalized.”
- On Russell’s redemption with seven made 3-pointers: “We always believed in D-Lo. He’s a shooter, and shooters keep shooting.”
- On carrying lessons from this loss into Game 3: “Each game presents its own challenges.”
- On dealing with the aftermath of a gut-wrenching defeat: “It’s tough to swallow, no doubt.”
James also criticized the inconsistencies of the replay center, highlighting a disputed call earlier in the game involving Murray and himself.
He ended his postgame remarks with a rhetorical exasperation, referencing a controversial call from an earlier contest: “What’s the deal with all this? It’s frustrating.”
