Lakers survive nail-biter against Suns after free throw mix-up
The Lakers squeaked out a 116-114 win over the Suns last night, but a confusing moment in the final minutes nearly cost them.
It all started when Suns guard Dillon Brooks drained a clutch three-pointer to put Phoenix ahead.
Then chaos erupted.
Officials immediately hit Brooks with his second technical foul of the night, ejecting him from the game and giving the Lakers a critical free throw opportunity.
That’s when things got weird.
Instead of Luka Dončić stepping to the line as coach JJ Redick expected, LeBron James took the shot.
“I thought Luka was gonna shoot it,” Redick said after the game. “I walked back, LeBron was at the free-throw line and shot it. I don’t know what the dialogue was on the court… Luka should’ve shot that.”
The mix-up wasn’t just about preference. Dončić had been nearly perfect from the line all night, hitting 13 of 14 free throws before that moment.
LeBron missed the technical free throw, keeping the game tied.
But the story didn’t end there.
On the very next possession, James attacked the basket and drew a foul. This time, he calmly sank both free throws, putting the Lakers ahead for good.
After the game, LeBron downplayed the confusion, saying he simply stepped up in the moment. He also mentioned he would’ve been fine with Dončić taking the shot instead.
The incident highlights how even veteran teams can have communication breakdowns in those frantic final minutes.
Despite the mix-up, the Lakers showed enough poise when it mattered most. Dončić’s earlier free throw shooting kept them in the game, and James’ clutch free throws at the end sealed the deal.
Sometimes winning ugly is still winning.
