The Lakers and Clippers played an instant classic on Christmas in Los Angeles, giving everyone a taste of the intensity and quality of play we could be in for if they meet in a playoff series.
The Lakers threatened to run away in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers clawed their way back into it, thanks to a tremendous performance from Kawhi Leonard with 35 points and some massive plays from Patrick Beverley, who had just eight points but pulled down nine rebounds and a key steal late in the closing seconds against LeBron James.
That final play also served as a point of controversy, as it served as a reminder of the issues with instant replay on issues of possession. Beverley made a spectacular play to poke the ball out of James’ hands and out of bounds with the Lakers down three. In the first 46 minutes, this would be Lakers ball — as it was ruled on the floor — but because it was the final two minutes, they replayed it and in super slow motion, you could see it graze LeBron’s hand. The ruling was overturned, and it was Clippers ball, allowing them to close the game out with free throws.
Pat Bev pokes it away for the crucial stop! #NBAXmas @LAClippers 109@Lakers 106
3.6 left on ESPN/ABC. LAC ball. pic.twitter.com/G6jKmPjnzv
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2019
It’s an issue I’ve written about before, and you can read that here, but the basic gist is that it goes against the spirit of how this play (and others like it) get called for 46 minutes of action. The defender is the one that forces it out of bounds, and as such it stays with the offense. Technically, yes it touches LeBron last, but it does that in all situations like it earlier in the game and it is never ruled that way, which James noted after the game.
Lakers’ LeBron James on the late review w/ Clippers’ Patrick Beverley: “I was surprised by the overturn. I didn’t feel like the ball went off my hand. … If you look at slow motion 4, 5 or 10 times, you can always decide it’s a different call.” pic.twitter.com/8uFHvCGSTJ
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 26, 2019
That’s not to take away from Beverley’s play being spectacular, but it’s a problem the NBA and NCAA need to look into about how replay is adjudicated. It’s not the same as who deflected the ball last, where at all times they are, at the least, trying to figure out who tipped the ball before it goes out of bounds. It is a play that, quite simply, is never ruled in this manner or attempted to be called like that at any other point of the game before replay is allowed.
