Davis angry over missed foul call
BOSTON — Anthony Davis was unafraid to bash the referees after the Lakers were sure they came out on the wrong end of calls Saturday in a 125-121 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.
The no-call on LeBron James’ drive to the basket at the end of the fourth quarter was the most upsetting aspect for Davis and the Lakers as they opened a fivegame trip.
The score was tied at 105 when James got the ball with 4.1 seconds left. He drove to the basket for a potential game-winning layup. But then Boston’s Jayson Tatum fouled James, hitting him on the arm, but no foul was called and the game went into overtime, where the Lakers lost.
“He fouled him. He fouled him. Clearly. Clearly,” said Davis, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his second game back from injury.
“It’s bull—. But at the end of the day, like, it’s unacceptable. And I guarantee nothing is gonna happen to the refs. We got cheated tonight, honestly. It’s a blatant foul. Pat [Beverley] got all ball on I think Brown — Jaylen Brown. They call a foul. And Bron gets smacked across the arm [and they don’t]. It’s unacceptable, to be honest. The refs were bad. They were bad tonight.”
Late Saturday night, the referees told a pool reporter, “There was contact. At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul. The crew missed the play.”
The referees’ union admitted Sunday that the crew missed calling Tatum for a foul on the play.
Davis had a potential solution to the no-call problem.
“It’s not fair,” he said. “I guarantee that if the refs started getting fined for missed calls, it’d be a lot better.
But nothing will be done.”
James, Davis out
The Lakers continue their five-game trip Monday against the Brooklyn Nets, when Davis (right foot) and James (left ankle) will sit out, and Tuesday against the New York Knicks.
Guard Austin Reaves, who has missed 12 consecutive games because of an injured left hamstring, also is listed on the injury report as out for Monday.
Walker solid in return
The assumption was that it would take Lonnie Walker IV some time to get his game back in gear after missing 14 games because of left knee tendinitis.
Walker actually had a strong outing in his return to the court Saturday night against the Celtics, with 13 points on six-for-eight shooting, including one for three on three-pointers.
“You bring him along slowly, you know what I mean?” coach Darvin Ham said after the overtime loss.
“And allow him to play himself back into rhythm. Just being healthy is half the battle. You have to be healthy and be in rhythm. That’s going to take a little bit of time. Especially for a perimeter player.”
In his first 32 games, all starts for the Lakers, Walker was solid, averaging 14.7 points and shooting 45.5% from the field.
Walker is listed as probable to play Monday.