Golden State Warriors emerged victorious against the LA Lakers in a game marked by an unusual ending, where the arena announcer was compelled to announce the shot clock.

March 17, 2024

Golden State Warriors emerged victorious against the LA Lakers in a game marked by an unusual ending, where the arena announcer was compelled to announce the shot clock.

A peculiar conclusion marred the Golden State Warriors' 128-121 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. A malfunctioning shot clock and a contentious call negating a LeBron James three-pointer led to a 23-minute delay in the game's final two minutes.

With less than two minutes left and the Lakers trailing by just four points, the anticipated climax of their rivalry appeared imminent. However, James' three-point shot was invalidated after officials deemed he had stepped out of bounds, widening the Lakers' deficit to seven with 1:50 remaining.

Subsequently, the shot clock malfunctioned. Despite several attempts to rectify it, referees ultimately decided that the arena's public address announcer would verbally announce the time remaining on the clock at five-second intervals in real-time.

"Afterwards," LeBron James remarked, as reported by ESPN, "I've never seen that call made in that particular manner before. It was kind of unusual... It disrupted our momentum."

He concluded the game with 40 points, matching his season high, nine assists, and eight rebounds, striving to lead his team to victory without Anthony Davis, who exited the game due to an injury after the first quarter.

Meanwhile, James' long-standing rival, Steph Curry, contributed 31 points for the Warriors as he returned to the court after being sidelined for three games with a sprained right ankle. Additionally, Klay Thompson contributed 26 points from the bench.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr addressed reporters afterward, expressing, "The ending was peculiar. It seems a few times a year we encounter clock issues. That situation was as extreme as I've ever experienced, where even the backup system failed. It's unfortunate; I empathize with the fans. It was a great game, and suddenly, in the last two minutes, everyone was just bewildered, unsure of what to do."

The game remained closely contested throughout, even after the Lakers lost Davis and his defensive expertise, allowing the Warriors to capitalize more on inside scoring opportunities, accumulating points in the paint.

However, the game's rhythm was disrupted following the challenge to James' three-pointer, Kerr remarked afterward, expressing his desire to see that rule abolished.

"We're so focused on getting every detail perfect at the expense of the game's flow. Does it really matter if the player's foot is just half an inch over? Is it worth going back 45 seconds and altering everything?" he questioned.

James, on the other hand, defended the referees' decision, acknowledging that while the situation was unfortunate, they "have a job to do, and they must execute it to the best of their ability."

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The Warriors' trio of stars proved ineffective against the unavoidable outcome in their defeat.

Golden State Warriors emerged victorious against the LA Lakers in a game marked by an unusual ending, where the arena announcer was compelled to announce the shot clock.

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