Despite boasting a 30-point lead during the fourth quarter, the Philadelphia 76ers could do little to keep a veteran Cleveland Cavaliers team from storming back in furious fashion, cutting down the deficit to as little as one point in the fourth quarter.
LeBron James had a golden chance to send the game to overtime, as he received one of Kevin Love's inbound passes with 3.3 seconds left in regulation and was fouled by Robert Covington on a 3-point attempt.
Or so we thought…
James admitted in an ESPN post-game interview that he hadn't gathered the ball entirely before Covington made contact, but he wasn't going to argue the call by referee Lauren Holtkamp with such stakes on the line.
“I was still trying to get my hands on the ball to kind of get it up there to try to get a four-point play, but it didn't happen,” James told reporters, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. “I wasn't able to get it up there.”
James finished with a 44-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist night, but clearly forced the action — racking up a game-high eight turnovers and shooting only 6-of-11 from the foul line.
The Cavs star needed all three free-throws to send the game to the extra period, but failed to capitalize, missing the second, and then the third one intentionally, with only 1.9 seconds left in regulation.
Should we start asking John Wall if he's getting that foul call at the end of the game?
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