On Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a desperate Sacramento Kings team that needs a bit more cushion to book their place in the play-in tournament. The Kings played with such desperation that they managed to sweep the season series against the East-leading Cavs with a 120-113 win on Sunday. However, this victory was not without controversy.
The Cavs were playing terrific defense in the fourth quarter, with the Kings leading by five points, 116-111, with about 50 seconds left in the game, forcing Sacramento to keep the ball late in the shot clock. With the shot clock winding down, Zach LaVine found a way into the paint and converted a layup to extend the lead to seven points. It appeared like LaVine failed to beat the shot clock buzzer, and a closer look at the play reveals that the Kings guard’s basket should not have stood.
The Cavs were playing excellent defense in the fourth quarter, with the Kings leading by five points, 116-111, with roughly 50 seconds remaining, allowing Sacramento to keep possession late in the shot clock. With the shot clock winding down, Zach LaVine found his way into the paint and hit a layup, extending the margin to seven points. LaVine looked to miss the shot clock buzzer, and a closer look at the action suggests that the Kings guard’s basket should not have counted.
While it is helpful to see referees admit their mistakes, this is all a moot point anyway, as nothing they can say can change the outcome of the game.
Even the best teams in the NBA have off nights, and on Sunday night, the Cavs simply couldn’t get anything going, particularly on defense, as they allowed the Kings to shoot 53.7 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc, with Zach LaVine scoring 37 points.
The Kings’ firepower simply could not be matched by the Cavs, even a terrible shooting night from Darius Garland, who finished with nine points on 4-13 from the field. Cleveland will seek to get back on track against the hot Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
