The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Las Vegas for the semifinals of the in-season tournament after defeating the Phoenix Suns 106-103 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, but the victory did not come without controversy. The Lakers led 105-103 with 11 seconds left and only needed to turn the ball in, get fouled and make two free throws to effectively tie the game. But when they tried, chaos ensued. Austin Reaves lost the ball and the Suns appeared to gain possession and a chance to tie or win. Luckily for the Lakers, LeBron James had the foresight to call a timeout to save the ball.
Here’s the problem: Reaves didn’t appear to have the ball when James called the timeout. The video appears to show that the ball was loose when James called the timeout, meaning it should not have been called and the Suns would have been able to gain immediate possession with a live ball.
After the game, pool reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic asked crew chief Josh Tiven about the incident, and he stood by it. “During the live game, the official felt that LA still had possession of the ball when LeBron James called the timeout,” Tiven said. “Through slow-motion post-game video review, we saw that Austin Reaves had his left hand on the ball while he was pushing it to his left leg, which actually means control.”
Instead of Grayson Allen potentially clinching the game with a quick layup, the Lakers were granted a timeout and another chance to inbound the ball. After another timeout, Anthony Davis was fouled and made his first free throw. He missed the second, but Kevin Durant failed on a game-winning 3-point attempt as the clock expired. That sealed the Lakers’ victory, and it was a meaningful victory at that.
The Lakers now travel to Las Vegas for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. If they win this game, a championship game against the Indiana Pacers or the Milwaukee Bucks awaits them – and every player on the last team standing will receive an additional $500,000. The Lakers have talked a lot about wanting to win this award, although the top honor would have been particularly meaningful for the Suns. They have nine players making minimum salaries this season. Even the wealthier Suns were upset by the call. “We’re not asking for favoritism, just a fair chance,” Devin Booker said said after the game. Booker also posted a screenshot that appears to show James calling time without Reaves having the ball in his possession Instagram story after the game.
Instead of competing for the top prize, the Suns will have to settle for a Friday date hosting the Sacramento Kings. It may only be a single loss in the standings, but given the attention paid to the league’s first in-season tournament, the last thing anyone wants is a controversial end to a knockout game.