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The NBA's Last Two Minute Report confirmed that Russell Westbrook did not foul De'Aaron Fox in the closing seconds of the LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings game. After a rather controversial game, the report itself does a lot to clear up a lot of suspicions.
The LA Lakers walked away with a massive win on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings. However, the game itself wasn't free of any controversy. After several questionable calls going both ways, several doubts were raised regarding the manner in which the game was officiated.
While this is commonplace in almost all NBA games, the situation was particularly charged considering the matchup.
The dynamic between the Kings and the Lakers is famously known for being tarnished due to refereeing scandals during the 2002 NBA playoffs. With several criticisms alluding to partisan refereeing during Game 6 of the WCF, the Kings have every right to dislike the Lakers.
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Needless to say, the bad blood between the two franchises exists to this day. This was on full display in the last few minutes of the game on Saturday night as well as some questionable calls that sat poorly with fans on both sides.
In this regard, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report aims to clarify a lot of the doubts regarding foul calls. The report addressed several foul calls. This also clarified the dispute regarding the no-call on Russell Westbrook, who contested a shot from De'Aaron Fox in the final seconds of the game.
The report justified this by stating:
"Westbrook (LAL) contests the jump shot attempt and marginal contact occurs with Fox's (SAC) left arm after the release."
As shown in the video, Russell Westbrook can be seen making contact with Fox's arm. However, the report indicates that the contact occurred after the release and would hence have very little impact on the shot itself.
Needless to say, this line of reasoning does very little to satisfy anyone. However, with the results locked in, there is little that can be done to change the outcome.
Russell Westbrook puts on a show against the Sacramento Kings
The LA Lakers put on a show in Sacramento on Saturday night. While the nail-biting finish was indicative of how close the game was, the Lakers saw some tremendous performances from players on their roster.
A key performer for the Lakers was Russell Westbrook. The guard had himself a great night as he notched 23 points and 15 assists while coming off the bench.
Delivering timely baskets while moving the ball around, Westbrook pushed the tempo for the Lakers and embodied the aggressive playing style they aim for.
Other players on the roster also had a huge role to play in the win. LeBron James led the fray on the scoring front with 37 points on the night. Thomas Bryant also shone in his role as the leading big man, as he notched 29 points and 14 rebounds of his own.
Dennis Schroder was also a huge contributor on the night. While notching 27 points and four rebounds in the game, he also delivered two clutch free throws to put an end to matters in Sacramento.
Despite the controversy, Purple and Gold emerged victorious. After extending their winning streak to five games, the Lakers will hope to build upon this in their next game against the Denver Nuggets.
