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Lakers fans furious at Doris Burke for ‘good no-call’ Austin Reaves declaration
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- Lakers fans furious at Doris Burke for ‘good no-call’ Austin Reaves declaration
Lakers fans furious at Doris Burke for 'good no-call' Austin Reaves declaration appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Los Angeles Lakers are already facing a mountain of trouble in the Western Conference Semifinals, but for the Purple and Gold faithful, the officiating and the commentary just made things a whole lot worse.
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During a crucial stretch in Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder , Austin Reaves attempted to ignite a stagnant Lakers offense. Reaves managed to cross up Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein on a drive to the rim, but he was clearly impeded by the American-German center. No whistle blew, and the ball went the other way.
While Lakers fans waited for a replay to confirm their frustration, ESPN's Doris Burke took a different route. Burke praised the lack of a whistle, declaring the sequence a "good no-call" and adding that the officials have done a "very good job" throughout the series.
Laker Nation did not take the compliment well. Social media immediately erupted, with fans labeling Burke everything from "unbearable" to a "psyop" placed by the NBA to defend the officiating. One fan even claimed Burke would say anything to protect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from being labeled a foul baiter later in the series.
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The "good officiating" didn't help the Lakers on the scoreboard , as they are currently trailing 131-105 at the Crypto.com Arena, putting them in a devastating 0-3 series hole. Reaves chipped in a gritty 17 points and nine assists, but his five turnovers highlighted the team's overall struggle to find a rhythm. LeBron James chipped in 19 points and eight assists, while Rui Hachimura led L.A. with 21 points on five made triples.
On the other side, Gilgeous-Alexander orchestrated the offense with 23 points and eight assists, while Ajay Mitchell torched the Lakers for a game-high 24 points.
The Lakers now face a win-or-go-home Game 4. If they want to extend their season, they'll need more than just better calls, they'll need to find a way to stop a Thunder team that looks unstoppable.
Related: Ajay Mitchell, Thunder slapping Lakers with harsh $150 million Austin Reaves reality
Related: Here's how badly Thunder cooked Austin Reaves in Game 3
