Jamal Murray’s go-ahead jumper with 3.6 seconds left sealed a 108-106 victory for the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers, ending the Lakers’ season in dramatic fashion.
Post-game discussions focused on Lakers coach Darvin Ham’s controversial decisions, particularly his management of timeouts. Ham had used his final timeout to challenge a call late in the game. Although the challenge was successful, the Lakers were penalized by losing a timeout because it was Ham’s second challenge of the night. This rule forced the Lakers to push the ball up the court with just 3.6 seconds remaining, resulting in a desperate near-half court shot as time expired.
The rule sparked debate on “Inside the NBA,” with Charles Barkley voicing strong disapproval. “I don’t understand how you could win a challenge, but lose a timeout. I understand the rules, but that just doesn’t seem fair to me,” Barkley said. Kenny Smith echoed this sentiment, questioning the fairness of penalizing a team for correcting an officiating error.
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“You should be able to keep your timeout. [The referees] made the mistake, not us,” Smith argued, with Barkley adding, “You made a mistake and I got screwed by your mistake, that ain’t right.”
Despite the controversy, the Nuggets advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, while the Lakers face a long offseason filled with reflection and strategic planning.
