Lakers officiating complaint paid off for LeBron James in Game 4

Game 4 saw a much different officiating style towards LeBron James

The Lakers won fair and square in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, giving them a 3-1 lead and placing the Nuggets in a familiar position. Los Angeles is just one game away from an NBA Finals appearance.

The Lakers Game 3 loss left a sour taste in Lakerland, leading to LA’s higher-ups submitting a complaint about the officiating towards James, arguably the best player in the game today. James shot just two free throws in Game 3. That all changed in this most recent contest, one the Lakers won by a narrow margin.

James shot 14 free throws in Game 4, and the overall team’s free throw numbers jumped from just 22 attempts in Game 3 to 35 in Game 4. The Lakers had double the points from the charity stripe, which had a huge impact on the final result.

LeBron James’ got away with clear contact on Jamal Murray late in Game 4

If there is a clear moment that James’ haters will use against him from this game, it’s Murray’s late drive in which LeBron clearly initiated some contact.

James hits Murray on the arm on this play, with the Lakers up by just three points with under two minutes remaining. Had that been called, Murray could’ve narrowed the deficit to just one. Instead, the Lakers raced down the floor and went up two possessions. That’s a massive swing.

The goal here is not to discredit James, who is the best player of his generation and one of the greatest of all-time. The Nuggets already face a disadvantage against James and Davis on the court. They’re playing above their weight. To throw in the psychological aspect of trying to predict how the black and white stripes will call a game on a consistent basis is unfair. Star players always get calls, but as the Lakers found out in Game 3, the officiating has been far from normal in the bubble.

The Lakers have been the better team through four games of the Western Conference Finals. They deserve a 3-1 lead. The question remains, though, which type of officiating will we receive for Game 5? Your answer is as meaningful as mine.