On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in a contentious game that ended Miami’s home winning streak, and helped to continue the Lakers’ impressive road winning streak. The 113-110 victory was an exhausting game for both teams, and came down to a last-ditch attempt by Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who attempted a three-pointer which didn’t quite make it in. Butler and his team contended that he was fouled on the shot, but the appeal was unsuccessful.
Now, the NBA has released its officiating report on the game, and it turns out the Heat may have had a point. Dan Woike at the Los Angeles Times has the story: specifically, that the league’s report on the game argues that the Lakers were the beneficiaries of several missed calls.
The calls cited by the report included Butler’s free-throw attempt. “The report also said Anthony Davis fouled Butler after he caught the inbound pass and tried to tie the score with a three-point shot from the corner,” Woike writes. The league also cited LeBron James for fouling Butler earlier in the game, as well as Danny Green, who wasn’t called for a double dribble.
If tensions were high at Friday’s game, and by all accounts they were, one can only imagine what it will be like the next time these two teams face off. Given the quality of both teams, it should be one for the ages.
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