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In Denver, LeBron James was seething as the Los Angeles Lakers squandered a prime opportunity. It wasn't just about relinquishing a 20-point lead or his own missed shot in the crucial moments. It was Jamal Murray's clutch fadeaway buzzer-beater that handed the Denver Nuggets a narrow 101-99 victory in Game 2 of their first-round series on Monday night.world-newsm99.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986957,"" sportstodaynewscom.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,23012903,""
James' frustration extended beyond the court, directed towards the NBA's replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey. His ire stemmed from a pivotal second-half call overturning a foul on Michael Porter Jr. against D'Angelo Russell. The league determined that MPJ's contact was only minimal, prompting James to vent, "I don't understand what's going on in the replay center, to be honest." With the Lakers now trailing 2-0 heading back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday, James' dissatisfaction lingers: "What the (expletive) do we have a replay center... it doesn't make sense. It makes no sense. It bothers me."
James was uncharacteristically reserved in his postgame interview following the Lakers' defeat, as Murray and the Nuggets orchestrated an impressive comeback from a 68-48 deficit to secure their 10th consecutive victory over the Lakers.
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James had an opportunity to put the Lakers ahead with about 16 seconds remaining on an uncontested 3-pointer. "Rimmed out," he lamented, despite his commendable performance of 26 points and 12 assists.
Porter seized the rebound, paving the way for Murray's decisive shot, a fadeaway jumper over Anthony Davis as the clock expired.
In his postgame remarks, James was direct: world-newsm99.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986957,"" sportstodaynewscom.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,23012903,""
- On Denver's comeback, despite being outscored 32-20 in the fourth quarter: "We missed shots. We still got great looks and we just missed them. And they made it."
- On D'Angelo Russell's turnaround performance, sinking seven 3-pointers after a 1-for-9 start in the series opener: "We never lost confidence in him. D-Lo is D-Lo."
- On whether the Lakers can draw anything from this game heading into Game 3 in Los Angeles: "Every game is its own challenge."
Following the heartbreaking loss, James acknowledged the emotional toll, stating, "Of course it's a heartbreaking game and you don't want to lose in that fashion."
His frustration with the replay center surfaced when reflecting on earlier game incidents. During the match, Murray was initially called for a foul as James drove to the basket, only for the Nuggets to successfully challenge and have the foul revoked.world-newsm99.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,22986957,"" sportstodaynewscom.blogspot.com,SocialBar_1,23012903,""
In his critique of the replay center, James drew parallels to Monday's game, where the New York Knicks clinched a thrilling 104-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. He referenced a pivotal possession where the Knicks secured the go-ahead 3-pointer from Donte DiVincenzo with 13 seconds remaining, initiated by a steal from Tyrese Maxey. Joel Embiid contested, claiming Maxey was fouled, and also highlighted attempts by coach Nick Nurse and some players to call a timeout before the Knicks gained possession.
Expressing exasperation, James concluded his postgame interview with a rhetorical question: "What are we doing?"