The Los Angeles Lakers escaped Phoenix with a 116–114 win on Sunday night after LeBron James hit two decisive free throws in the final seconds. However, considerable attention went to the state of officiating in the game, especially late in the fourth quarter as the Lakers overcame a late Phoenix onslaught to emerge winners.

The refereeing proved so infuriating that Suns coach Jordan Ott called it out post-game, per a clip posted on X by ClutchPoints.

“There is no rhythm. They [the officials] control the rhythm,” he said.

Despite blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead, the Lakers leaned on James’ late composure to improve to 18–7, while the Suns fell to 14–12 after another narrow loss that reignited debate about referee influence in superstar-driven games.

Phoenix had mounted a furious comeback in the final eight minutes, initially erasing a 99–79 deficit. Dillon Brooks capped the rally by drilling a go-ahead three-pointer with 12.2 seconds remaining over James, seemingly delivering the defining moment of the night.

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Instead, the aftermath of the play swung momentum back toward Los Angeles, as Brooks bumped James while jogging back on defense and was assessed his second technical foul, resulting in an ejection. The technical foul awarded the Lakers a free throw, which James missed, briefly preserving Phoenix’s one-point lead.

Moments later, with 3.9 seconds left, James attempted a contested three-pointer and drew a foul on Devin Booker. The call sent James to the line for three free throws, where the 40-year-old missed the first but converted the final two to put Los Angeles ahead 115–114. Phoenix’s final possession ended with Grayson Allen forcing up an awkward buzzer-beater that missed, sealing the Lakers’ escape. James finished with 26 points and delivered another age-defying closing performance.

Luka Dončić led Los Angeles with 29 points despite shooting just 7-of-25 from the field and 2-of-14 from three-point range. Deandre Ayton produced a strong showing against his former team, recording 20 points and 13 rebounds

Regardless, the officiating continued to irk fans and players alike. With 12.2 seconds left, officials did not call a foul when James made contact with Brooks as he landed from his go-ahead three, a decision that Suns supporters believed should have resulted in an and-one.

Instead, Brooks’ reaction earned him a technical, flipping the balance as the Suns failed to recover.