LeBron James Criticizes Controversial Call in Lakers’ Loss: ‘Clearly a Three-Pointer

Another thrilling game for the Lakers as their star, LeBron James, took on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers battled the Timberwolves in an intense game that ended in a 108-106 road loss Saturday. (Matt Krohn / Associated Press)

The stage was set for another moment — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on his 39th birthday squaring off with a surging Minnesota team led by one of the young stars in the league, Anthony Edwards.

And if that wasn’t enough drama, an illness kept LeBron James from attending morning shootaround and threatened his status for Saturday night’s game.

But when it came time for the Lakers to play, the game representing one of the final challenges before the team flips the calendar and gets some time at home, James was on the court, ready to go.

He defied age by flying to the rim, slamming home his signature, violent, one-handed dunk. He caught an alley-oop pass for a dunk and sped past the Minnesota defense for another slam.

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And with the Lakers needing a tying three in the final seconds, James sprinted down the court after a Minnesota miss and pulled up from 23 feet 9 inches, swishing the shot. But James’ foot appeared to officials to be on the line, the Lakers star coming up a toenail short of another memorable moment.

The Lakers had one last chance after Edwards split two free throws, down two with 1.4 seconds left, but James couldn’t get a last shot off, the Lakers falling 108-106.

“It’s obvious it’s a three,” James said. “My foot is behind the line. I mean, you can see the space in between the front of my foot and the three-point line. You can clearly a white [space]. The wood on the floor. There’s a space in between the front of my foot and the three-point line. … Stevie Wonder can see that, champ.”

After the game, officials said there wasn’t “clear and conclusive” evidence to overturn the ruling of a two-pointer.

James finished with 26 points, just the 11th player in league history to score 25 or more after turning 39.

Edwards was everything advertised in scoring 31, the former No. 1 pick blossoming as Minnesota’s leader. He smirked at Cam Reddish after hitting one three, got Anthony Davis to bite on two fakes before a mid-range jumper and stared at the Lakers bench after hitting another triple in the fourth.

And when James tried to answer after that last three, the ball bounced off the rim and perched on top of the basket, the 17th missed three for the Lakers against just six makes.

It was Davis, not James, who set the tone early. Being defended by perennial defensive-player-of-the-year candidate Rudy Gobert,

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