Refs defend controversial LeBron timeout call

Officials from last night’s Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns game have confirmed the controversial timeout call that helped punch L.A.’s ticket to the In-Season Tournament semifinal.

In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Suns cut the Lakers’ lead to two points with 11.2 seconds left. LeBron James inbounded the ball to Austin Reaves, who immediately got locked in a Devin Booker-Kevin Durant double-team. Reaves lost control of the ball and the Suns seemingly regained possession right under their own basket…until the whistle came in.

Timeout Lakers. Los Angeles would go on to hit a free throw on the other end, and Durant missed a pullup three-pointer at the end of the game.

Booker, who helped force the turnover, was clearly unhappy about the decision.

“The whole world seen it,” said Booker. “I just got off social media and other players around the league seen it. Refs miss calls sometimes but when it’s a bit that obvious, it’s tough.

“We’re not asking for favoritism, just a fair chance.”

According to last night’s pool report, though, the officials upheld their decision to award the Lakers the timeout.

“During live play the official felt that LA still had possession of the ball when LeBron James requested the timeout,” one referee said in the report. “Through postgame video review in slow motion replay, we did see that Austin Reaves had his left hand on the ball while it’s pinned against his left leg, which does constitute control.”

If you watch the replay, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is clearly late to the timeout call. However, further inspection shows that James is at least a bit closer to a moment where Reaves looks as though he has possession. The broadcast angle doesn’t give the best view of the situation, but granting James the timeout looks at least slightly more defensible.