LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers was surprised that the referees overturned the late-game whistle in their Christmas day loss to the LA Clippers. In the final 10 seconds of the game, James had a chance to send the game to overtime. But Patrick Beverley perfectly anticipated his 3-point shot attempt and stripped the ball cleanly.
In real-time, it looked that Beverley touched the ball last. But slow-motion replay proved otherwise. At least in the eyes of officials.
Nonetheless, expect an NBA statement clarifying that the call should have been in favor of the Lakers if James' claim is correct. Otherwise, this can be chalked up to another disappointing loss for the Purple and Gold as their losing streak hits four.
While James reiterated that Beverley's defensive stop wasn't necessarily the game-winning play, he admitted that it was a big play.
Be as it may, the Clippers are now up 2-0 in the Battle of LA. The Clippers have proven to be a tough team to beat. More importantly, they seem to have figured out the Lakers.
This will be critical moving forward as analysts expect these two teams to battle it out in the West. The Lakers have to be wary that the Clippers squad is comprised not just of potent offensive players, but great defenders as well.