LeBron James couldn't mark his 39th birthday with a victory on Saturday as his Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-106, following a controversial referee decision in the final seconds.
The Timberwolves led 107-100 with 36 seconds remaining, but a 3-point play by LeBron, coupled with a free throw from Austin Reaves after a technical foul on Jaden McDaniels, narrowed the score to 107-104 with 31 seconds left.
Despite a howl of defiance, the Timberwolves missed a three-pointer as the shot clock expired; Anthony Davis secured the rebound, and LeBron attempted a three-pointer in an epic shot to tie the game with three seconds left.
The basket went in, but the referees awarded only two points, a contentious decision that frustrated LeBron after seeing TV replays that failed to clarify whether he stepped on the three-point line by millimeters.
In the end, the Timberwolves secured the victory with a final score of 108-106.
The Lakers (17-16), experiencing inconsistent performances since winning the NBA Championship three weeks ago, had previously won 133-112 against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
The Timberwolves (24-7), the top team in the West, also won on Thursday against Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks (118-110).
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 31 points, while Naz Reid came off the bench to contribute 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist. Rudy Gobert added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
For the Lakers, Anthony Davis delivered an outstanding performance with 33 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks. LeBron scored 26 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.
With this win, the Timberwolves remain at the top of the Western Conference, ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-9), while the Lakers hold a position in the 'play-in' tournament.
Lakers Strike, Timberwolves RespondAnthony Davis aimed to steal the spotlight from birthday celebrant LeBron at the start of the game. With 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in just the first quarter, he led the Lakers to an eleven-point advantage (6-17) within the first five minutes.
The Timberwolves reacted, gradually erasing the Lakers' lead through collective play to end the quarter with a score of 29-31.
The second quarter mirrored the first: the Los Angeles team quickly took a 10-point lead (29-39), but once again, the Timberwolves nullified that advantage and even took the lead before halftime, leaving the score at 61-57.
Davis and James only scored 4 points each in the second quarter, with totals of 21 and 10 points at halftime, respectively. For the Timberwolves, Antony Edwards and Naz Reid scored 9 and 10 points, resulting in totals of 15 and 16, respectively.
Nail-Biting VictoryThe Timberwolves took control in the third quarter, where the Lakers managed to equalize but never took the lead.
It was a defensive quarter, with a modest 21-20 score, partly due to poor shooting accuracy (28.6% field goals for the Lakers). The quarter ended 82-77 in favor of the Timberwolves.
The Lakers, unwilling to spoil LeBron's birthday, reversed the deficit at the beginning of the final quarter and took the lead (83-84) for the first time since halftime.
The Wolves demonstrated why they are the best team in the West, regaining the lead in a back-and-forth battle until establishing a 7-point advantage with 36 seconds remaining.
The Lakers' three-pointer three seconds before the buzzer could have sent the game into overtime, but the referees' decision to award only 2 points due to LeBron stepping on the line by millimeters ultimately soured LeBron's birthday celebration.