Lakers' LeBron James sounds off on refs missing his timeout call vs. Rockets
01/06/2025 09:54 AM
The Los Angeles Lakers lost a close game to the Houston Rockets 119-115, but there was some controversy in the final seconds. Down three points, the Lakers had a chance to tie the game, but first, they had to inbound the ball. With Max Christie as the inbounder, he struggled to find an open man, and LeBron James came up and signaled a timeout, which was not rewarded. That led to a turnover by the Lakers and ultimately ended the game for them.
After the game, James was asked about the missed timeout call and how that affected the outcome.
“That’s why I called a timeout because I saw it go wrong,” James said. “They played it good, they stayed on top of everything. I saw Fred [VanVleet] shoot the gap on me, and I called the timeout. Max definitely still had the ball in his hand, but it wasn’t rewarded. That happens, we didn’t lose the game because of that.”
LeBron James speaking about the timeout he tried to call with 7.1 seconds left: pic.twitter.com/STUNxAQELy
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 6, 2025
Christie also offered his thoughts on the play.
“I should’ve called it, too,” Christie said. “As the inbounder, I need to be more aware. I need to make a better decision in that spot.”
Overall, it was a nice comeback by the Lakers, but they definitely wanted to finish the game off with a win.
Lakers come up short against Rockets
The Lakers trailed by as much as 22 points in their game against the Rockets, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their best to will the team back. In the end, a turnover on the inbound and offensive fouls down the stretch spoiled the Lakers’ comeback.
"The fight was there, which was good, but we got to stop digging ourselves in holes like that," Max Christie said after the game. "We got to play that way, like we did the second half, for 48 minutes instead of just one half. So for us as a team, that’s the next step for us."
The Lakers have been playing well over the past few games, and the new additions to the team have fit in as well. Dorian Finney-Smith is playing his role as a solid three-and-D player, and Shake Milton has been good from the perimeter. As the season progresses, they’ll get more comfortable in their roles, and the Lakers should improve in that time. For now, James, Davis, and Austin Reaves will lead the charge for the Lakers while everyone continues to try and excel in their roles.
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