There was no shortage of drama late in the Suns-Lakers NBA in-season tournament showdown. Both teams played playoff-caliber basketball on both ends with a trip to Las Vegas and a berth in the semifinals on the line.
However, with less than 20 seconds remaining, things went off the rails, as Phoenix guard Devin Booker shared the greatest photo of the group thus far to further energize the team’s fan base.
After Booker cut the Lakers’ advantage to one, Austin Reaves made a game-winning three-pointer with 15.1 seconds left to make it 105-101. That appeared to be the game-winner, but after a quick bucket by Kevin Durant, the Lakers inbounded, and it appeared Reaves fumbled the ball with three players surrounding him.
But then a whistle blew, and Los Angeles was awarded a timeout with 7.1 seconds remaining.
Suns players are plainly perplexed by the decision, as seen above. The timeout was called by LeBron James (at the top of the screen). However, after the game, Booker rushed to social media to publish a screenshot of the play, which rapidly gained attention.
Booker’s screenshot showed him with the ball in his hands and on his way to the basket after the alleged turnover, while James stood overhead, signaling timeout. The uproar surrounding this is likely justified, considering the Lakers were leading by two points at the time, and the Suns had an opportunity to tie or take the lead.
Instead, Anthony Davis converted one of two free throw tries to lead the Lakers to a 106-103 victory.