The Lakers have asked the NBA to review clips of what they thought were fouls on LeBron James after Monday night’s loss to the Heat.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost a cross-conference matchup with the Miami Heat on Monday night. The game was close, but Los Angeles failed to capitalize on a game-winning shot. LeBron James and the Lakers believe there were several missed foul calls during the game. As a result, LA decided to reach out to the NBA for review.
Would the Lakers have won the game with more foul calls?
The Lakers contacted the league office after the loss, sharing numerous clips of what the team views as fouls against James, per Dave McMenamin. James drove to the rim to score numerous times. Naturally, there was plenty of contact given James’ physicality. Ultimately, the referees did not see what LA saw.
The Lakers finished the game with 17 personal fouls, three more than the Heat. LA only lost by one point. If James got more calls, would his team have come away with victory? Regardless, the Lakers have things they can improve on.
LA needed to crash the boards more against Miami. They were outrebounded 44-38. In addition, the Lakers only shot 78.6% on three-pointers. In contrast, Miami nailed 87.5% of their long-range shots. On the bright side, Los Angeles had some bright individual performances.
LeBron James led LA with 30 points, four rebounds, and three assists. The 38-year-old still found ways to score despite a frustrating game. Austin Reeves had one of his best performances in a Laker uniform. The third-year guard nearly notched a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.
Los Angeles awaits the NBA’s decision on their review of James’ missed calls. In the meantime, the Lakers must prepare for their next matchup to even up their win-loss column.
