Tonight’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors clash witnessed an unusual finish. Several controversial moments in the 4th quarter killed the momentum of the thrilling game. LeBron James hit a late-game clutch 3-pointer to cut down the Warriors lead to 4 points. However, the shot was divisively overturned after the officials watched the replay while reviewing a different play minutes later.

There was also a shot clock malfunction that caused a nearly 30-minute delay towards the end of the game. The shot clock reset from 11:06 to 10:38 on its own during a Warriors possession in the fourth quarter. But the game officials took no action to fix that massive error. After the game, official David Guthrie justified why LeBron James’ three-pointer was reviewed, but the shot-clock malfunction was not.

During The Pool Report Interview, Guthrie revealed that LeBron’s foot was out of bounds when he shot the overturned three-pointer. And NBA Rules allow officials to review the call even when other replays are triggered later in the game. That is why the officials disallowed James’ three after they checked it minutes later during a review call by the Lakers.

Meanwhile, the shot-clock malfunction took place during a live play and that is not a reviewable matter as per the official. It is up to the officials to keep track of the shot clock and notice any problems at that moment. However, nothing can be done later if the issue goes unnoticed during  live play.

An abrupt finish ruined the historic LeBron James-Stephen Curry duel

The Lakers and the Warriors have been battling for the 9th seed in the Western Conference standings. And tonight’s clash was extremely important for both teams. LeBron James and Stephen Curry added to their iconic rivalry and put up yet another historic duel. After struggling in the first quarter, Steph found his rhythm and finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. LeBron also did everything in his capacity to save the Lakers in Davis’ absence. King James put up a game-high 40 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.

It is disappointing that LeBron and Steph’s incredible battle got disrupted due to technical glitches. The 30-minute delay in the 4th quarter spoiled the mood of the fans at home and in the Crypto.com arena. The game was heading to a nail-biting finish but instead ended in controversial calls and shot clock malfunctions. The game official’s statement further clarifies that there is nothing they could have done about it.

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