The Lakers have faced an uphill battle to put the season back on the rails after starting the year 2-10. To their credit, they've fought hard, developed a culture and played decent ball since (four games over .500), despite losing LeBron James and Anthony Davis at different points to injury.

They've blown some very winnable games. That's on them.

But Saturday, the Lakers rolled into Boston and played very well. They were strong defensively throughout. They found ways to score. They played hard against a very good Celtics team. And the referees blew it for them. LeBron James was fouled as time expired. Blatantly, obviously fouled. So obviously fouled that Patrick Beverley showed crew chief Eric Adams the photographic evidence afterwards. (For which Bev received a tech.) So obvious that it took the league about seven seconds after the game ended (Boston wins, 125-121 in OT) to say, "Yeah, we mucked that up."

Darvin Ham was semi-diplomatic after the game, though not so diplomatic that he avoided the chance of a fine. Anthony Davis and LeBron were less so. Because this isn't the first time this season -- heck, this month -- that the Lakers, and James specifically, have been the victims of bad officiating down the stretch. "We have no have room for error. This is one of the best games we've played all year, and to have it fall on somebody's else's judgment, or non-judgement, is just ridiculous," James said.

He said other things, too.

It's an embarrassment for the NBA, to have this problem continue to happen, especially in a marquee game on national television. And for the Lakers, it's a major setback to start a brutal five game road trip. Winning this game would have put them only two games under .500, and taken pressure off the next four games. Instead, it's back to four games under, and they lost a game in the standings to Utah, Phoenix and Minnesota.

Much to unpack from this game, and more will come on Monday. But Sunday? Let's vent.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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