A last-minute timeout with 7.4 seconds on the clock in the 4th quarter has benefitted the Los Angeles Lakers, and they have qualified for the semi-final of the NBA In-Season tournament. While it’s a celebration in the LA camp, the Phoenix Suns are furious and deservingly so. There is another person who is voicing his harsh opinion over the timeout issue.

NBA veteran and ex-Suns star Eddie Johnson recently blasted the NBA referees for allowing a timeout to the Lakers. As per Johnson, this one judgment error has cost the Suns their chances of the semi-final.

LeBron James’ Lakers make it to the semi-finals

Towards the end of the 4th quarter, it was anybody’s game with the Suns at 103 and the Lakers at 105. LeBron James tossed the ball to Austin Reaves with 11.2 seconds on the clock and was immediately surrounded by Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. From there, everything went haywire as the Lakers called for a timeout with only 7.4 seconds left and were given the timeout despite a loose ball. As per the rules, a timeout can’t be given to the team if they don’t have possession of the ball. However, the Lakers took full advantage of the error and closed the game in their favor with the final score of 106-103.

Fans heavily criticized this decision on the internet, and even some of the Suns players expressed their disappointment over this error in judgment. Johnson said, “I’m not happy. Why would I be happy? You can’t call timeout unless they have the ball.” The NBA veteran was in disbelief as he gave his two cents on the issue. This quarterfinal matchup was a highly-anticipated game because of its importance for the In-Season standings and the clash of two of the best teams in the league.

Despite being a good game overall, the last few seconds have changed public perception, and now that one decision is the only thing being talked about.

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A quick recap of the quarterfinal game

Although the timeout decision is the major point of discussion right now, the Lakers did put up one of their best performances in the game. They were leading in the first two quarters and despite a third-quarter slump, they managed to bounce back in the 4th. LeBron led the team yet again in scoring with 31 points. He also had 11 assists and eight rebounds in the game while playing for 40 minutes.

Apart from LeBron, Anthony Davis had a good game as well with 27 points and 15 rebounds. The only other player from the Lakers with a double-digit score was Reaves, he had 20 points with six rebounds.

What do you think about the controversial timeout? Let us know in the comments!

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