Scottie Barnes drilled a game-tying three-pointer to tie the Raptors-Lakers game in the final seconds. A controversial call waved it off.
RJ Barrett offensive foul, wipes away Scottie Barnes game-tying 3 pic.twitter.com/egFudYsES5
— Oh no he didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 10, 2024
Officials whistled RJ Barrett for a moving screen as Barnes made his shot. Anthony Davis appeared to throw his shoulder into Barrett and immediately crashed to the ground while Barnes' shot went in.
Los Angeles went on to win 132-131, making all of their free throws down the stretch. Davis scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, 11 of them coming from the free-throw line. After the game, Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic was incensed, tearing into the officials in his postgame press conference.
Darko is a real one. pic.twitter.com/qPUykwR2pO
— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) January 10, 2024
"This is a shame. Shame for the referees, shame for the league to allow this," Rajakovic said while pounding the table. "They had to win tonight? If that’s the case, just let us know so we don’t show up for the game."
Rajakovic may have a point. The Lakers took 23 free throws to the Raptors' two in the final quarter, though eight of those Los Angeles freebies happened as Toronto was intentionally fouling to stop the clock in the final seconds. Barnes and Immanuel Quickley fouled out for the Raptors, while LeBron James played 35 minutes without being called for a foul.
Meanwhile, Barnes took two free throws during a night where he took 20 shots, including 11 inside the paint.
Out of 51 players averaging 20+ pts per game this year, the 6'7, 240-pound Scottie Barnes ranks 44th in free throws per game & nearly everyone below him is a primary 3-point shooter.
— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) January 10, 2024
Barnes deserves more respect from NBA refs!
This is what Darko Rajaković's tirade was about: pic.twitter.com/ImAzODmEFw
We eagerly await the NBA's Last Two-Minute Report on the game - and the amount Rajakovic will be fined by the league.
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