Cavs Fall Short After Controversial LaVine Basket in Close Game

CLEVELAND, Ohio — In a tightly contested NBA matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers fell victim to a late controversial basket by Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine, leading to a frustrating 114-113 loss. With fewer than a minute left in the game, LaVine drove to the basket and scored, despite in-arena replays indicating that he had released the ball after the shot clock expired.

The Kings’ layup should have been nullified, yet officiating crew members Courtney Kirkland, Eric Dalen, and Brandon Schwab did not halt the game for a review. Kirkland, the crew chief, later acknowledged the error. “We made a mistake. During live action we thought that LaVine released the ball prior to the expiration of the shot clock,” he commented.

Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson expressed his frustrations regarding the missed call but remained philosophical about the implications. “They said they couldn’t review it. I guess they missed it. Too bad,” Atkinson said. “That’s not why we lost the game.”

Despite Atkinson’s dismissive stance, players acknowledged the moment’s significance. Donovan Mitchell, who played through a visible ankle injury, noted that the game should not have been decided by one play. “Just little details like that. Box outs, coverages, turnovers. They had 37 points off of our turnovers. It’s really self-inflicted stuff.”

LaVine was outstanding, finishing with a game-high 37 points, including 15 of 21 shooting and 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. His performance was complemented by DeMar DeRozan, who added 28 points, and Domantas Sabonis, with 27 points. Sacramento shot an impressive 53.7 percent for the night.

Following the game, Atkinson pinpointed a lack of intensity as a major factor in the defeat. “They’re energy and intensity level was higher. I think we did pick it up a bit, but a little surprised we weren’t more on point. We made a lot of mistakes, quite honestly, defensively.”

Despite the loss, the Cavaliers remain in a solid position in the Eastern Conference, with a magic number of one to clinch a playoff berth. They trail the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder by two games in the loss column. “I know it’s the same message on repeat, but obviously I’d rather have this happen now than in about three weeks,” Mitchell added. “So, we learn from things like these. We’ll watch the film, and we’ll get better.”