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How NBA Referees Are Moving Forward After Missed Call on LeBron

Monty McCutchen breaks down the missed call from the Lakers-Celtics matchup and what it means going forward for referees.

Like most, Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s senior vice president of referee development and training, was distressed by the missed call late in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Lakers-Celtics matchup. In the final seconds, LeBron James was slapped on the arm by Jayson Tatum while attempting a game-winning layup. The game went into overtime, with Boston pulling out a 125–121 win.

“We’re always disappointed when we don’t live up to the charge of excellence up against delivering on a final play or a play that impacts the latter portions of the game,” says McCutchen.