The Los Angeles Lakers trailed the Phoenix Suns 107-104 with 1:03 left in the fourth quarter of Monday’s contest when Lakers star Anthony Davis went up for a layup against Suns center Mason Plumlee.
Despite the obvious contact, the officials let play go on. The Lakers would narrowly lose 109-105, a lead which would have dwindled if Davis was awarded two free throws. However, the league’s final two-minute report from Monday’s contest indicated the call on the floor was incorrect; in fact, Plumlee had committed a shooting foul on Davis.
This was the only missed call in the report as Plumlee and the Suns improved to 3-1 on the young season. The loss was the Lakers’ first of the campaign.
Davis blocked Suns guard Devin Booker on the next possession, handing Los Angeles another opportunity to tie the game. However, Austin Reaves clanked a 28-ft three-pointer with 37.1 seconds to effectively seal the victory.
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If Davis had been awarded free throws and converted even one of them, Reaves would not have been forced to take a three, and the Lakers could have attacked the basket. That strategy certainly would have suited Davis: the Lakers big man is off to a heater this year. The 31-year-old scored 29 points on 12-24 shooting as he continues to top the league in scoring (32.8 per game).
Monday’s contest wasn’t the first instance of shoddy referring between the two sides. Last year’s in-season tournament was marred by a handful of missed calls down the stretch, including three against the Lakers.
Despite the missed call, Anthony Davis is still leading the NBA in points per game on the young season ( Image: Getty Images)
The teams have enjoyed a slightly contentious rivalry during the LeBron James era. Davis was injured when the teams squared off in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, a series the Suns would ultimately claim in six.
The Lakers felt like the scores were never fully settled, but by 2023, the Suns in their previous iteration were disbanded: key role players Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were shipped to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant