NBA fans couldn’t believe what they were watching at the end of Saturday’s showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
And some basketball viewers went as far as claiming the game was rigged.
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talk to officials after a shot clock malfunctionCredit: AP
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Steph Curry looked bemused after a delay but kept his composure to lead the Warriors to victoryCredit: Getty
The Warriors-Lakers clash at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California was delayed by a shot clock malfunction.
Play was held up for 20 minutes after the clock apparently broke with less than two minutes to play.
But some Lakers players and eagle-eyed fans noticed an apparent issue with the clock with 10:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Golden State had possession with the shot clock at nine seconds, before it apparently reset to 24.
The Warriors scored on the play, which the postgame pool report noted was wrong.
“The shot clock malfunctioned during live play at that time, and that is not a reviewable matter,” crew chief David Guthrie admitted.
And fans were adamant that the sequence of events Saturday night was proof the game was “rigged.”
One wrote: “If you think this game wasn’t rigged peep the shot clock on this Warrior possession which they scored on.”
Another commented: “This game is rigged for the Warriors and Curry.”
A third said: “Warriors fans cannot mention rigged or fixed or anything to me ever again.”
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Golden State held on to win 128-121 in a late night Los Angeles finish.
Steph Curry scored 31 points for the Warriors while Klay Thompson added 26 from the bench.
LeBron James, meanwhile, had 40 points in a losing effort for the Lakers.
Both the Warriors (35-31) and Lakers (36-32) are in an uphill battle to reach the NBA playoffs.
They currently occupy ninth and 10th place respectively in the Western Conference, which just about gets them into the play-in tournament.
