Los Angeles, CA - December 6, 2023
LeBron James scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the final semifinal spot in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament with a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
The Lakers, who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, rallied in the fourth quarter behind James and Anthony Davis, who had 28 points and 12 rebounds.
With the Lakers down by one with 14.5 seconds left, Lakers coach Darvin Ham called a timeout that many Suns fans and players thought was not justified. The timeout allowed the Lakers to set up a play for James, who drove to the basket and scored the go-ahead layup with 9.5 seconds left.
The Suns had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Mikal Bridges' three-pointer was off the mark.
The Controversy
The Lakers' timeout with 14.5 seconds left was the subject of much controversy after the game. Suns coach Monty Williams said that he thought the timeout should not have been allowed because the Lakers did not clearly have possession of the ball.
"I thought the Lakers didn't have the ball," Williams said. "I thought it was a jump ball. But the referees called it Lakers ball and they gave them the timeout."
James said that he thought the Lakers clearly had possession of the ball.
"I thought we clearly had possession," James said. "I thought the ball was in our hands. I don't know what they were looking at."
The NBA's Last Two Minute Report said that the referees made the correct call on the play. The report said that the Lakers had possession of the ball because they had "established control of the ball by securing it and maintaining possession for a period of time."
The Lakers Advance
The Lakers' victory over the Suns means that they will advance to the semifinals of the NBA in-season tournament. They will face the winner of the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers are looking to win their first NBA championship since 2020.
The Suns' Disappointment
The Suns' loss to the Lakers was a disappointing end to a strong season. The Suns had the best record in the NBA during the regular season.
"It's tough," Suns guard Chris Paul said. "We had a great season and we thought we had a chance to win this tournament. But we came up short."
What's Next?
The Lakers will play their semifinal game on Thursday night.
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