Dave McMenamin, ESPNReading: 4 minutes
Butler and Heat finally beat LeBron’s Lakers
Miami defeated Los Angeles 108-107 at home. Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and Bam Adebayo scored 22 points, plus 20 rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron scored 30 points for the visiting team.
The Lakers have contacted the NBA about what they believe were multiple fouls involving LeBron James during Monday’s loss to the Heat, sources told ESPN.
Los Angeles Lakers They contacted the bureau’s office NBA Tuesday to investigate what they believe were numerous missed foul calls in Monday’s 108-107 loss to the United States. miami heatsources told ESPN.
The main focus of dispute between the two parties is lakers How officials treated LeBron JamesAccording to sources.this lakers shared several clips showing what they believed to be clear illegal contact on James by a Heat guard that went unnoticed by the referees.
james Attempted four free throws Miami, lowering his season average to 5.7 shots per game, which would tie his single-season career low if he holds on. According to Second Spectrum, the four-time league MVP is fouling on just 6 percent of his shots this season, the eighth-lowest foul rate among 34 players who have taken 70 or more shots so far in 2023-24. .
james After Monday’s game, he brought up his free throw total and was dissatisfied with the way the officiating staff interpreted the foul.
One of the failed decisions james The quote (when Heat center Thomas Bryant made contact with his face after a failed dunk with 1:01 left in the third quarter) is one of the clips lakers Share with NBAAccording to sources.
“What they told me was inconsistent with what actually happened on the scene,” he said. james. “When I was trying to dunk on Thomas Bryant, he obviously elbowed me, like an arm to the face. I asked him for an explanation. Well, one of the referees said he was face up with his hands Lifted inward in the air. “Two referees said they were blocked and didn’t see it. “
the team’s coach lakersDavon Hamm received his first technical foul of the season and the third of his career with 39 seconds left in the third quarter for arguing a play that was not called. james.
“I saw LeBron take four free throws,” Hamm said after the game, “and the number of times he attacked the rim, the number of times he got hit in the arm, I saw it all, stop singing this is him. What’s missing, man … he’s not faking it. I saw him get to the rim with power.”
this lakers They also set a sequence midway through the second quarter when Heat guard Duncan Robinson shoved James in the back while the 19-time All-Star was pushing the ball in transition but failed to do so, sources said. make any decision.
“I mean, I don’t know what to say,” one person said. james Leave in anger after failure angels The record this season is 3 wins and 4 losses. “I approach them respectfully, tell them what’s going on in the game, and I always go to the free throw line three or four times a game. “Sometimes I don’t even shoot free throws, which is weird. “
james Attempted four or fewer free throws in three of seven games lakers This season, four of those are Monday games in Miami. “So we just have to keep driving, keep pushing on the rim and see if it turns,” he said. james. “But we did make some tough decisions tonight and it went against us.”