Steve Kerr has witnessed his fair share of dramatic showdowns between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. However, Saturday night’s game was marked by a prolonged struggle to reach its conclusion.
The last 2 minutes and 7 seconds of the Warriors’ 128-121 triumph over the Lakers unfolded over approximately 22 minutes, plagued by extended replay reviews and a malfunctioning shot clock.
“It seems like a few times a year you get clock issues. That’s as extreme as I’ve been a part of, where even the backup unit doesn’t work,” Kerr remarked. “The last two minutes, everyone is looking at each other about what to do.”
The chaos ensued when LeBron James sunk a crucial 3-pointer, narrowing the Lakers’ deficit to 124-120. However, the subsequent play saw a scramble for the ball, resulting in a contentious out-of-bounds call with 1:50 remaining.
Although officials initially awarded possession to the Warriors, the Lakers successfully challenged the ruling, contesting the last player to touch the ball before it went out of bounds. Simultaneously, the NBA’s replay center scrutinized whether James’ shot was inbounds.
Ultimately, James’ 3-pointer was negated due to his foot being out of bounds as he initiated the shot.
“I’ve never seen that called before like that, at that particular time. It was kind of weird but it took the momentum away from us,” James reflected. “I didn’t believe I stepped on the line. I knew how much space I had over there. And when I shoot, I shoot on my tippy-toes.”
Crew chief David Guthrie clarified that the review on James’ shot was triggered during the initial stoppage in play, adhering to NBA rules.
Following another challenge on an out-of-bounds play, the shot clock malfunctioned with 1:35 remaining. Despite multiple attempts to rectify the issue, officials halted play upon realizing the shot clock was malfunctioning.
Subsequently, a nearly 10-minute delay ensued, with fans voicing their discontent as the PA announcer periodically counted down the shot clock.
“I watch a lot of golf. I don’t know if they were doing playing through or running commercials while waiting for the game to come back on. It probably wasn’t the greatest for TV,” Curry remarked, offering a unique perspective on the situation.
