The referees missed a call that likely would have decided the game.
The Celtics barely escaped with a win over the Lakers on Saturday night, in part because of missed call that sent the game to overtime. While it appeared that Jayson Tatum fouled LeBron James in the final seconds of regulation, referees didn’t make the call.
The crucial no-call prompted Lakers guard Patrick Beverley to take a camera on court in an attempt to show the replay to an official. After the game, the Lakers were extremely angry about the pivotal play.
Conversely, Tatum didn’t get into the specifics of the call, choosing to defer to the heat of the moment instead.
“The last two minutes and overtime was a blur,” Tatum said via NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t really know what happened. I’ve got to watch the game, watch the film, because everything was happening so fast. But we moved on and got the win. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
The Celtics ended a three-game losing streak with the win.
The NBA admitted a foul should’ve been called against Tatum, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. When Tatum was asked about that revelation, he brushed it off.
“Looked like they might have missed a call on their end towards the end of the game,” Tatum said. “But that’s life. They’ll be all right.”
