Lakers’ LeBron James sounds enthusiastic in the officiating replay center

DENVER – After a heartbreaking 101-99 loss in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, LeBron James was one of several Los Angeles Lakers players to criticize the referee during his postgame comments.

“I honestly don’t understand what’s happening at the replay center,” James said.

James has expressed displeasure with the league’s replay process several times this season, such as when his foot was ruled on the three-point line in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and out of bounds in a loss to the Golden State Warriors.

On Monday night in Denver, he specifically addressed a shooting foul against Michael Porter Jr. on D’Angelo Russell late in the third quarter, overturned after Nuggets coach Michael Malone disputed the call.

D-Lo gets hit in the face on a ride,” James said. “What the hell do we have a replay center for if it goes [like this]? It makes no sense to me.”

Russell agreed, writing on X after the game, “That’s a foul we all saw on national television.”

LA led 79-69 with 39.5 seconds left in the third quarter when the foul was cleared, negating two free throw attempts for Russell. The Lakers point guard shot 82.8% from the free-throw line this season.

The missed two-point opportunity became much more consequential with how the game ended: Jamal Murray’s fadeaway jumper on the baseline from 16 feet away as time expired gave Denver a two-point victory and a 2-0 series lead.

Crew Chief Scott Foster announced over the public address system that Porter’s contact was “marginal”, and the call was quashed.

A Lakers source told ESPN that James’ foul on Murray with 58 seconds left, which gave the Nuggets guard two free throws that gave Denver a 99-97 lead, could also be considered “marginal contact.”

“I don’t think it makes any sense,” James continued. “It bothers me. … And then I also saw what happened with the Sixers-Knicks game. What are we doing?”

As James (26 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) stood up from the podium and walked toward the exit, he added, “It’s fucking stupid.”

While LA had a 19-6 advantage in free throw attempts in Game 1, Denver had a 17-13 edge in attempts in Game 2.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham also referenced Lakers center Anthony Davis’ foul trouble; Davis got his fourth with 2:41 left in the third quarter, setting a screen on Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. L.A. led 74-63 at the time and Ham took out Davis to prevent him from fouling. At that point, Davis went 14-for-18 from the field for 32 points. He attempted just one shot — a missed pull-up in the lane midway through the fourth quarter — the rest of the game.

“You can’t have a cure for serious problems,” Ham said. “It limits your player and takes away all the aggression.”

With Davis’ play affected by his mistakes, Denver fought back from a 20-point deficit early in the third quarter. Murray scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth, with his buzzer-beater representing just the third game-winning shot to complete a comeback of 20 or more points in an NBA playoff game since 2000.

Jokic, who finished with 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, also did damage down the stretch when he faced off against the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura as Jokic’s Davis was subbed out to avoid more mistakes.

LA was “stalled” in the fourth quarter, according to Lakers guard Austin Reaves, as James scored 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting and the rest of the team went just 3-for-9.

James missed his final shot, a three-pointer from the top of the key, with 99 and 16 seconds left.

“I had a wide-open look and he came out,” James said. “I mean, it came in and it came out.”

Denver, meanwhile, went 7-for-7 to end the fourth quarter.

The series now shifts to L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena on Thursday as the Lakers attempt to snap a 10-game losing streak against the Nuggets.

“Win Game 3,” Davis said. “It’s that simple. Just win Game 3.”

Russell, who bounced back from a 6-for-20 shooting performance in Game 1 to score 23 points in Game 2 and tie a franchise postseason record with seven made 3-pointers, expressed confidence for the future.

“We did a lot of good things that gave us a chance to win all night,” Russell said. “It came down to some things that were really out of our control. I like our fight.”

Despite everything that went right for the Lakers on Monday, there is plenty of room for improvement. James went 4-for-11 on shots at the rim, with the seven misses tying the most he has had in a playoff game since joining the Lakers. Hachimura went 1-for-7 in the starting lineup. Denver’s bench defeated L.A.’s reserves 12-6.

“We have stretches where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” Davis said. “And those are the ones that cost us.”

However, doubting cannot change the series. This is only possible if you prepare for a different outcome.

“Protect your home,” James said. “That’s where my mentality is going. And obviously, the only game that matters right now is Game 3 and how can we get better? How can we figure this team out? So Game 3 is where my mentality is.”