Lakers' LeBron James' Controversial 2-Pointer vs. T-Wolves Upheld by NBA L2M Report

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report for the Minnesota Timberwolves' 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday revealed that referees correctly deemed LeBron James' late shot a two-pointer.

The report read as follows:

"James' (LAL) successful shot attempt was initially ruled a two-point shot by on-court referees. Upon review by the NBA Replay Center Official, there was not clear and conclusive visual evidence that the on-court ruling was incorrect, and therefore no basis to overturn that ruling.

"When James raises his heels to jump for his shot, the replay shows his right foot rolling forward so that the toe of his shoe contacts the three-point line. For a player's shot to be scored a three-point field goal, the player may not touch the three-point line until after his shot is released."

However, as ESPN's Dave McMenamin pointed out, there were two missed calls that should have gone against Minnesota.

If James' shot was called a three-pointer, he would have tied the game at 107. Instead, the Timberwolves still led 107-106 with 2.3 seconds left.

Nine-tenths of a second later, Anthony Edwards made 1-of-2 free throws in response, leading to the Lakers calling a timeout and getting the ball in the Timberwolves' half of the court down two.

However, James was unable to get a game-tying shot attempt off in time, and the Timberwolves held on for the win.

Needless to say, it was a brutal loss for the Lakers, who could have used a clutch win over the NBA-best Timberwolves (24-7 record) as they struggled through a tough stretch. L.A. has gone 2-6 to fall to 17-16, including a four-game losing streak during that span.

Still, the Lakers can compete with anyone on any given evening, as their efforts against Minnesota showed.

The issue with the In-Season Tournament champs is that they're inconsistent, easily capable of beating the league's best team (e.g. Minnesota) but losing against some of the worst (e.g. a 129-115 loss to the now 5-26 San Antonio Spurs).

Ultimately, the Lakers must move forward and quickly. A five-game homestand (and nine home games in 10) gives the Lakers (who are 11-4 at home) a chance to get back on the winning track after the new year.