A LeBron James Non-Call Gets Overshadowed By A Luke Kennard Game-Winner

The headline for Saturday’s Lakers-Magic game was supposed to be about LeBron James. But the King was overshadowed.

James isn’t complaining, though. When Luke Kennard hit a three to put the Lakers up by one with 0.6 seconds left in regulation, he basically sealed the deal for the purple and gold squad to escape with their 46th win of the season.

“When I turned and saw who had the ball in his hands for a wide-open three, I pretty much knew it was cash,” LBJ told reporters after the game.

By propelling the Lakers to a 105-104 victory, Kennard didn’t just preserve his team’s winning streak (which is now at nine). He also helped his most celebrated teammate save face.

Just moments later, the Lakers had run a beautifully executed ATO play that freed up James in the shaded lane. Catching the inbounds pass from Marcus Smart, LBJ pump-faked as he felt Paolo Banchero coming from behind. As Banchero went flying through the air and James rose for his layup attempt, Banchero appeared to make contact.

Instead of calling a defensive foul, the baseline referee motioned out of bounds with the last touch on Banchero. James, meanwhile, vehemently argued that Banchero had committed excessive contact. (A day later, salt was rubbed in the wound after the league office agreed with the referee’s non-call in their Last Two Minute Report, which stated that Banchero only made incidental contact after blocking James’ shot.)

The four-time NBA champion had a great look thanks to an impeccable play drawn up by Lakers head coach JJ Redick. The extremely athletic James could have scored on a layup or effectively drawn a foul. Instead, he failed to add any points to the Lakers’ tally, and his team ended up with even less time to try to win the game.

Enter Kennard, the sharpshooter who was acquired by the Lakers on the week of the trade deadline. For the past several weeks, pundits have criticized the Lakers for not making trades that were perceived as more substantial. Kennard, in short, was viewed as an inadequate move by the Lakers' front office.

Yet, there he was, catching the ball with under three seconds left from another great play crafted by Redick. Fittingly, it was James who was deployed to cause confusion among the Magic’s defenders. And, indeed, Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane were bamboozled into picking up the same man, giving one Laker all the space that he needed.

That Laker turned out to be one of the most efficient snipers in the NBA this season. As it turned out, the headlines were not about James’ bungled attempt to seize the lead. Instead, the name Luke Kennard was plastered all over the internet as the Lakers snagged the win in Orlando.