Somehow, they didn't count the basket.
Timberwolves star Julius Randle attacked the paint against the Lakers as Minnesota tried to come back against Los Angeles.
He flung a floater toward the hoop, and it was heading in.
On the way down, Randle's extended arm whacked LeBron James in the face.
The whistle blew and a foul was called. Fine. But the officials also ruled the basket wouldn't count despite the ball dropping through.
The offensive foul seemed a whole separate act from the shooting motion, but apparently the refs didn't see it that way.
This was called an offensive foul on Julius Randle and the basket did not countpic.twitter.com/Ovk2qUS24p
— Pikkit (@pikkitsports) April 23, 2025
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The foul came with Minnesota down 11. Randle's bucket would've made it a nine-point game with 5:11 to play.
Instead, the Lakers got the next bucket about a minute later, an Austin Reaves drive and finish, and that pretty much put the game away with a 13-point lead and about four minutes to go.
Minnesota very well may not have come back, but it's too bad such a call helped decide the game when it seemed plenty clear that it should've gone a different way.
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