NEWS

BOSTON — The head referee in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 125-121 overtime loss to the Celtics on Saturday admitted there was a missed shooting foul by Jayson Tatum against LeBron James in the final seconds of regulation, leaving L.A. seething about another defeat tied to officiating.

The Lakers had a golden opportunity to knock off the league-leading Celtics when James drove to the hoop with the score tied with 4.0 seconds remaining. He got all the way to the basket when he attempted a left-handed layup and was smacked on the arm by Tatum, missing the shot just before time expired.

James immediately turned to the referee stationed along the baseline, grabbing his arm to indicate where the contact occurred. He hopped up and down, slapped the hardwood, held his hands on his head in disbelief and finally dropped to his knees in the paint and put his head down into his arms on the floor.

“There was contact,” crew chief Eric Lewis said to a pool reporter after the game. “At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul. The crew missed the play.”

The admission was the latest in what the Lakers see as a series of poor officiating in their games, bringing to mind recent losses to Dallas, Philadelphia and Sacramento when calls did not go in their favor.

“[Tatum] fouled him. He fouled him. Clearly. Clearly,” said Anthony Davis. “It’s bulls—. … It’s unacceptable. And I guarantee nothing is going to happen to the refs. We got cheated tonight, honestly. It’s a blatant foul. … It’s unacceptable, to be honest. The refs were bad. They were bad tonight.”

James, who came into the night sixth in the league in scoring at 30.2 points per game, averages 6.2 free throw attempts per game — the lowest number among any of the league’s top eight scorers.

“It’s challenging,” James said, after finishing with 41 points on 15-for-30 shooting. “I don’t get it. I’m attacking the paint, just as much as any of the guys in this league that’s shooting double-digit free throws a night, and I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.”

James attempted six free throws against the Celtics and L.A. shot 20 as a team. The Celtics nearly doubled that amount, going 34-for-39. He said the disappointing string of officiating makes it seem like his team is targeted.

“I watch basketball every single day,” he said. “I watch games every single day. And I don’t see it happening to nobody else. It’s just weird.”

Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who normally is reticent to criticize the officiating, also could not deny the impact the refs had on the outcome Saturday.

“As much as you try not to put it on the officiating, it’s becoming increasingly difficult,” Ham said. “The best player on earth can’t get a call. It’s amazing.”

Ham asked for more consistency from the referees, pointing out how Jaylen Brown was awarded an and-1 free throw with the officials calling a foul on Patrick Beverley on the play before James’ last-second drive. He also said that James’ strength and physicality work against him.

“[He] plays a strong, physical brand of basketball and just because he doesn’t flop or he doesn’t fall or he’s not screaming when he’s shooting the ball, like I see a ton of other players doing, he gets penalized for it,” Ham said. “I saw the same thing with Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. I saw the same thing when I was a player in the Shaq [O’Neal] era. Those guys that play physical and really try to focus on finishing plays, sometimes it doesn’t go in their favor. But then you see other guys whimpering on every shot or every time they get bumped … and they are the ones getting the whistles.”

The disillusioned Lakers rattled off several adjustments that could be made to improve the officiating. Ham suggested having four officials, or changing the challenge rule where if a coach uses it and it is successful, the coach can use it again. Ham called for a challenge with 3:41 remaining in the fourth quarter when Davis was called for a foul on Tatum, with the Lakers leading 96-95. The challenge was successful and the call was overturned, however Ham didn’t have a challenge remaining to implement on the James layup attempt at the buzzer.

Davis called for more accountability from the officials.

“I guarantee that if the refs started getting fined for missed calls, it would be a lot better,” Davis said. “But nothing will be done.”

Lewis also called two technical fouls against the Lakers, one against Dennis Schroder in the third quarter for collapsing to the floor in response to being called for a foul against Tatum and Beverley at the start of OT for borrowing a camera from one of the courtside photographers to show digital evidence of Tatum making contact with James at the end of the fourth.

“His actions were inappropriate in addressing resentment to a non-call,” Lewis said of the Beverley tech in a pool report.

Boston outscored L.A. 8-2 in the first minute of overtime and didn’t look back, holding on for the win.

“You’re still thinking about that,” Davis said of the carryover effect of the missed call. “You’re not even supposed to be in that situation, to be honest. You’re not supposed to be playing overtime.”

The loss dropped the Lakers to 23-27, 13th in the Western Conference. If they had won the four recent games they disputed the officiating against Dallas, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Boston, a 27-23 record would put them at No. 4 in the West.

“It’s one of the best games we’ve played all year, and for it to fall on somebody else’s judgment or nonjudgment is ridiculous,” James said. “It’s ridiculous.”

The Boston Celtics picked up a dramatic win over the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime on Saturday, but it took a blatant no-call at the end of regulation to get there.

Let’s just say LeBron James and the Lakers weren’t pleased.

In the final seconds of regulation with the score tied 105-105, the Lakers had the ball and a chance to end the game. Predictably, the ball ended up in the hands of James, who drove into the paint and missed a would-be game-winning lay-up.

Replay soon showed that James was clearly hacked on the arm by Jayson Tatum and should have received two free throws. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the officials didn’t see it that way and sent the game to overtime.

James was apoplectic immediately after the play, yelling at the officials, spinning around, smacking the floor and ultimately ending up on his hands and knees on the court.

Despite James’ theatrics, he wasn’t the reason the Celtics opened overtime with a free throw via a technical foul.

That fell at the feet of one Patrick Beverley, who minutes earlier had thrown down arguably the best dunk of his career. As the dust settled on regulation, Beverley picked up a tech by presenting a photographer’s camera to an official as evidence of the missed call.

Technical fouls really don’t get funnier than this:

The robbery narrative was sealed once the Celtics put the Lakers away in overtime. It was little consolation that James managed to post 41 points as he inches ever closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record.

The no-call was so bad that crew chief Eric Lewis admitted “the crew missed the play” to a pool reporter after the game, a rarity in such interviews. Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers have already received confirmation from league officials that the call was botched.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were unsurprisingly irritated while speaking with reporters.

Here’s Darvin Ham:

Story continues

Then Anthony Davis weighed in:

And, of course, James:

The loss knocks the Lakers’ record down to 23-27, still good for 13th in the Western Conference. Between injuries, mistakes and now this, it has been a frustrating season, and Saturday represented a major opportunity to move in the right direction.

Of course, the call was also just one play in a 52-minute game, but that’s never going to take the sting out of the fact that one whistle would have almost certainly given the Lakers the win.

Thoughts on an 86-70 win against the Buckeyes:

Ohio State brought a competitive edge, playing well from the tip and gaining an early advantage. And so this one felt a bit like the Michigan State game from earlier in the month, Indiana playing hard, but some early shots just not falling against a team bringing it. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers traded the lead back and forth from there with the game then tied at 29-all with 5:37 left.

A Trayce Jackson-Davis alley-oop dunk put Indiana up two points before Zed Key split a pair at the line to pull the Buckeyes within a point at 31-30. But the rest of the half belonged to the Hoosiers.

Ohio State didn’t score a point. Indiana scored 15. Malik Reneau grabbed an offensive board and made a putback. Trey Galloway scored a bucket on a drive. Jackson-Davis dunked another one home. Jackson-Davis then scored in the lane. Hood-Schifino hit a 3-pointer, Reneau scored, then so did Kaleb Banks.

As the first-half buzzer sounded, Indiana found itself up 16 points, 46-30. It’s exactly where this one would end, a 16-point victory for the Hoosiers (86-70), as the Buckeyes never got closer than 11 points in the second half and that was early on (18:07 mark).

With Jackson-Davis merely human in the first half (eight points), Hood-Schifino exploded from deep, hitting 6-of-7 from 3-point range and 7-of-9 overall for 20 points. A couple of those 3-pointers came when Jackson-Davis received extra attention and Hood-Schifino had room to catch and shoot. The Hoosiers also got solid contributions from Reneau (eight points) and Kaleb Banks (four points). Banks didn’t play in Indiana’s last two games. But with Jordan Geronimo out with an injury tonight, he came to play when his number got called.

Indiana’s 1.32 points per possession were its best in Big Ten play thus far this season. Credit IU’s excellent shooting from 3-point range (10-of-20, 50 percent) as a big reason why. Beyond Hood-Schifino (6-of-9), Miller Kopp (1-of-3), Galloway (1-of-3), Tamar Bates (1-of-3) and Reneau (1-of-1) also connected from deep. Indiana shot a respectable 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the line as well. After scoring 10 points against the Golden Gophers on Wednesday night, Reneau continues to look more comfortable, as he pumped in 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in this one. That ties his career-high, which came against Morehead State in Indiana’s first game of the season.

This wasn’t Indiana’s best performance on defense, as the Buckeyes posted 1.08 points per possession. Freshman Brice Sensabaugh was a particularly tough cover and made some great individual plays on his way to a team-high 23 points. Felix Okpara and Key combined for 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. But the Buckeyes only shot 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) from deep and thus were outscored by 15 from distance.

Tonight’s win helped Indiana to its first five-game winning streak in conference play since the 2015-2016 season. That’s seven seasons ago and the last time the Hoosiers won a Big Ten title. Another championship may be out of reach with the way Purdue has dominated so far this year.

But if Indiana keeps playing hard, confident and together basketball, one of the top spots in the conference is well within reach.

Filed to: Ohio State Buckeyes

A tragedy at a Duxbury, Massachusetts, home last Tuesday left three young children dead, allegedly at the hands of their mom.

Lindsay Clancy, a 32-year-old Massachusetts General Hospital employee, is facing several charges in the deaths of her children, identified as 5-year-old Cora Clancy, 3-year-old Dawson Clancy, and 8-month-old Callan Clancy.

Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s husband and the father of all three children, had remained silent in the days following the shocking incident but released a statement on Saturday, speaking publicly for the first time.

Really powerful words from #Duxbury dad Patrick Clancy, whose 3 kids were allegedly killed by their own mother

“Any parent knows, it’s impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them.” pic.twitter.com/RoluIqmLpL

— Darren Botelho (@DarrenBotelho) January 29, 2023

In his statement, Patrick Clancy said he had already forgiven his wife, and asked others to do the same, noting the “real Lindsay” was loving and caring towards everyone. He also remembered each of his children, saying Cora had an infectious laugh, Dawson’s best quality was his pure kindness, and that Callan was an incredibly happy and vibrant baby.

“My family was the best thing that ever happened to me. I took so much pride in being Lindsay’s husband and a dad to Cora, Dawson, and Callan,” he wrote. “They gave me purpose and I never took it for granted. There is now a massive void where that purpose once was.”

Days after the deaths of his two siblings, an 8-month-old baby has also died, allegedly at the hands of their mother.

Here’s his full statement, released on Saturday, Jan. 28:

Patrick Clancy’s full statement

Thank you all for your love and support. The warmth I’ve received from the community is palpable and your generosity gives me hope that I can focus on some sort of healing. I’ve seen all of your messages and contributions, including some from people I haven’t seen in over a decade and many I’ve never met. I see and appreciate everyone of you.

A lot of people have said they can’t imagine and they’re right, there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you. The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless. I’m constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows, it’s impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson, and Callan were the essence of my life and I’m completely lost without them.

My family was the best thing that ever happened to me. I took so much pride in being Lindsay’s husband and a dad to Cora, Dawson, and Callan. I always reminded myself that each day with them was a new gift. Callan usually woke up first and would rest his head on my shoulder for a few minutes as he adjusted to morning. Dawson typically sang or spoke his thoughts out loud for a while before we’d go get him. Cora was a big girl and would simply walk downstairs. I can still vividly picture her coming into the living room each morning with her hair in a mess, smile on her face. We always started our days together, reading books, cuddling up on the couch, and playing with magnet tiles. I loved taking them places, whether it was scooting at Chandler elementary, vacation, skiing, out on the boat, or to Duxbury Beach, one of our favorite places on earth. They gave me purpose and I never took it for granted. There is now a massive void where that purpose once was.

Cora had an infectious laugh and was stunningly beautiful. She was the cautious one, but it was really because she was so caring. She used to say she wanted to be a doctor and a mama when she grew up and she would practice by giving Callan check ups. If she was leaving the house to go somewhere, she would pick someone to take care of Caroline and Charlotte, her baby dolls. She had all the doll accessories available, so her sitters were well-equipped. Before she turned 2, she was already wrapping them in perfect swaddles. We would tell her she’s such a “good little mama.” She loved all babies, both real and pretend. She loved sloths, unicorns, tea parties, going to lunch with Nana and Grandpa, and giving presents to people. She knew everything about princesses, her favorite being Sofia the First. She truly loved her brothers and us and said it often in her sweet voice. We did a lot of father-daughter activities together, like skiing and visiting San Francisco or just talking. I loved her, my first born, so much.

Dawson had beautiful, bold, brown eyes that beamed with friendship. He was naturally humorous and generous beyond the norm of a typical toddler, always willing to share his toys with others. For all the love he received, he always gave back more. His best quality was his pure kindness. He loved trucks, tractors, dinosaurs, Paw Patrol, “worker guys” and being outside. He was adventurous and mischievous and enjoyed causing trouble, which he typically found hilarious. He was also remarkably smart. We always said if we didn’t save enough for retirement, it’ll be ok – we’ll just live in Dawson’s guest house. He would hug me tighter than most adults and every night he told me in consistent words at bedtime, without fail, “goodnight dada, I love you.” We had a special bond from day 1. He was my buddy, my first boy, and truly a gift.

Callan was our easy going child. I always said it was because he was the third child – he had to adapt and he did easily. He was born with hardly any fuss and was by far our best sleeper. He was just an incredibly happy and vibrant baby, constantly smiling. Our nickname for him was “Happy Callan.” He was sitting on his own and you could tell he was enjoying his growing independence as he would grab any object within reach. Sometimes he joined my Microsoft calls in the background, playing in his jumpy. I would keep my camera on, too proud to leave it off. He started saying “Dada” whenever I walked in the room. The last moment we had together was our routine. I would come up from my office at the end of the day and swing him between my legs while he laughed and smiled. If I was ever having a bad day, Callan always knew how to heal me. Perhaps that’s why he held on a little longer – to spare me whatever pain he could. As excruciating as it was, I was fortunate and grateful to feel his warmth until his very last moment. Faith is my only hope of believing he felt mine.

Callan died with enormous courage despite being so little. Maybe it was his way of demonstrating what I need to do to press forward. I’ll always try to draw inspiration from him. He’ll always be my little hero.

I want to share some thoughts about Lindsay. She’s recently been portrayed largely by people who have never met her and never knew who the real Lindsay was. Our marriage was wonderful and diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened. I took as much pride in being her husband as I did in being a father and felt persistently lucky to have her in my life. I still remember the very moment I first laid eyes on her and can recall how overcome I was with the kind of love at first sight you only see in movies. It really didn’t take long before I was certain I wanted to marry her. We said “I love you” to each other multiple times daily, as if it were a reflex. We habitually started every morning with a passionate hug, yielding a sigh of relief like we had each received the perfect medicine. If too much time passed with out a hug, she’d look at me and ask, “did you forget?” We mutually understood the reality that people can have bad days, but we stuck to the rule that when one of us got lost, the other was always there to bring them home, always. She loved being a nurse, but nothing matched her intense love for our kids and dedication to being a mother. It was all she ever wanted. Her passion taught me how to be a better father.

I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have. The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone – me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.

I promise I’ll put all my energy into healing and rediscovering my purpose. I owe that to all of you, Duxbury fire and police, our compassionate healthcare workers, our local faith leaders, the Microsoft community, and especially Cora, Dawson, and Callan. I don’t know how or when I’ll be able to do it, but your love and generosity will help me get started. I know that love always wins.

Cora, Dawson, and Callan, you gave me so much in your short time here. I don’t know if the pain will ever go away, but I’ll do my best to carry on in your honor. Dada loves you so much and will always remember you.

With love and endless gratitude