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“Referees Cheated LeBron James And Should Be Fined”: Anthony Davis Blames Lakers Loss Against Celtics On Egregious Officiating

Samir Mehdi
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“Referees Cheated LeBron James And Should Be Fined”: Anthony Davis Blames Lakers Loss Against Celtics On Egregious Officiating

The Los Angeles Lakers just played one of the strangest games of the 2022-23 NBA season. LeBron James, en route to breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular season scoring record, dropped a casual 41 points against the Boston Celtics in the Garden during a nationally televised Saturday prime time game and lost 125-121 after a thriller in overtime. 

The main story behind this game has been the fact that the NBA officials, led by crew chief Eric Lewis, completely botched the way they reffed the game. Everything from phantom fouls against Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis to perhaps one of the most egregious no-calls at the end of a game in recent league history. 

With about 4 seconds left in the game and the bout tied at 105 a piece, LeBron drove into the paint and was clearly fouled by Jayson Tatum on a left-handed layup attempt. The referees didn’t call a foul on this and the game proceeded in OT. 

Also read: “Is LeBron James The Biggest Hypocrite of All Time?”: Big Cat Questions Lakers Star Supporting Shannon Sharpe’s Shenanigans vs Ja Morant And Co

Anthony Davis on having felt cheated by the NBA referees 

Anthony Davis, who returned earlier this week after having been sidelined due to a right foot stress reaction for 5 and a half, was very vocal postgame about how he and the Lakers as a whole felt about the officiating tonight. 

He claimed the team felt cheated by the refs and stated that they should get fined for making wrong calls, especially ones that decide the end of a crucial game.

The entirety on NBA Twitter imploded upon itself after this no-call was made, with every single person siding with LeBron James, claiming he rarely ever gets calls in the league when he most certainly should. Head coach, Darvin Ham, even scoffed at the idea that the best player in the world can’t get calls in the NBA. 

James Worthy was furious with the officiating 

Lakers legend, James Worthy, claimed that the referees should be ashamed of themselves for the job they did tonight. Going beyond just the LeBron James no-call, they also awarded the Celtics with 39 free throw attempts while the purple and gold attempted merely 20, close to half of Boston. 

NBA Twitter has also pointed out that the Boston Celtics are 36-2 since 2020 when Eric Lewis refs for them, claiming that this stat makes tonight’s ordeal all the more suspect. 

Everybody from Reggie Miller to Kyle Kuzma have taken to social media to express their disgust over the no-call that was witnessed across the world tonight. The Lakers, who are fighting for a play-in spot, need every single win they can muster and tonight’s game is certainly a heartbreaking loss.

Also read: A $3.7 Million Bid Helps LeBron James Join Michael Jordan and Diego Maradona On List of Most Expensive Game-worn Jerseys 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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