Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Video shows LeBron James furious with ref in Game 2 loss

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 4/24/24

The Lakers blew a 20-point lead in their Game 2 loss to the Nuggets, but all the post-game talk was about the officiating. LeBron James even went on a profanity-laden tirade after the game.

During the concluding moments of the game, there was a call that James felt the referees missed. With 47.1 seconds left, James drove to the basket for a layup to give the Lakers a 99-97 lead. James argued he was fouled by Jamal Murray and should have been sent to the line for an "and one" opportunity.

An irate James kept yelling at the referee as the Nuggets scored on the other end to tie the game. In fact, James continued to mouth off even after Murray made the game-clinching basket.

"I'm asking you a question," James could be heard yelling after the game as the referee walked away without giving him an explanation.

In fairness to the referee, the NBA's official two-minute report determined that James was not fouled by Murray. The report noted that the sole error made by the referees was that Nikola Jokic should have been called for a defensive three-second call with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter.

Several analysts, such as Charles Barkley and Kendrick Perkins, have called out the Lakers for blaming the officiating for their loss.

Down 2-0, the Lakers will look to bounce back in Game 3, which tips off at 10 p.m. ET at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

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