Fans usually don’t yawn in the crowd during the last two minutes of a basketball game. Especially in a close game like Saturday night’s Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers.
But between the clock malfunction and the replay review, the final 1:50 of the game was delayed for a total of 22 minutes, leaving coaches and players frustrated on the court and fans unable to understand what was happening. There wasn’t.
It all started when Stephen Curry missed a 3-pointer with 1:52 left. The ball went out of bounds to Andrew Wiggins and Jackson Hayes, but it was ruled a Warriors ball, not a Lakers ball.
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Austin Reeves of the Lakers speaks with officials during the Golden State Warriors game at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Sean M. Huffey/Getty Images)
As a result, Lakers head coach Darvin Hamm contested the decision, but the crowd was so loud that Bad Bunny, Kim Kardashian, and many other players waited courtside and throughout Crypto.com Arena. We did not anticipate that it would lead to delays. Restart the game.
The Lakers’ challenge was successful, but the officials weren’t just looking at whose ball it was. They also considered LeBron James’ 3-point shot past Curry at 2:07.
The referees ruled that James went wide before knocking down the shot, making the game 124-120. So after the review was finished, the score was changed back to his 124-117.
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When play finally resumed, officials ordered a jump ball as the ball went to both Wiggins and Hayes. However, the play again led to the coach’s objections.
Hayes’ chip headed toward the baseline, where the Warriors’ polarizing forward Draymond Green tried to get the ball back off Austin Reeves. This game was a little faster as the Lakers got the ball out of bounds by Green.
However, play continued to be stopped due to a shot clock malfunction. Four attempts were made to restart play, but the clock failed and the crowd eventually booed.
The situation got so bad that the Lakers’ street announcer had to verbally explain the 24-second shot clock at five-second intervals starting at 8 p.m.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Hamm told The Athletic. “I’ve never seen that before.
Musician Bad Bunny stands in the front row of the Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors game at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Sean M. Huffey/Getty Images)
“It completely took the air out of the building,” he added of the interruption in play. “The people were there – it was a back-and-forth game, they created a good cushion for themselves, we dug it back, and we made the big shots, big plays, they made the big shots, the big plays. Called the play, guys: “They scramble, they race hard, and then boom, everything just stops. Now the fans are getting a little frustrated, so there’s booing.”
James said he was clearly unhappy with the situation even after the Lakers ultimately lost 128-121.
“I’ve never seen a call like that before, at that time of year,” he said of his 3-point shot not counting. “That was a little weird. It took the momentum away from us.”
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t like that James’ 3-point shot didn’t count even though his team was winning.
“I don’t like the rule that you can go back and look outside the boundaries.” [play]. LeBron three times – it seems to happen once or twice a year. I hope that rule goes away. ”
Kerr also talked about how the amount of momentum in the building was affected during the break.
LeBron James of the Lakers during a timeout as officials attempt to correct the shot clock at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Sean M. Huffey/Getty Images)
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“It was weird,” he said. “It seems like a few times a year we have clock issues. It’s the most extreme I’ve ever been a part of and the backups don’t work. I feel sorry for the fans. That was a great game and everything All of a sudden, in the last two minutes, everyone is looking at each other, wondering what to do. ”
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