Lakers head coach JJ Redick and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) confront referee Tyler Ford (39) after Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was called for a technical foul against the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena on March 6, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
In a development that played directly into the conspiratorial minds of some Golden State Warriors fans, a potential dunk of the year candidate from Moses Moody was wiped away because the Los Angeles Lakers complained.
With 7:01 left in the first quarter, Moody threw down an absolutely vicious hammer on Lakers guard Austin Reaves, with Moody running up into the dunk from the 3-point line and elevating over the set-in-place Reaves. As he threw the dunk down, the referee on the baseline whistled for a foul — on the Lakers defender.
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As they are wont to do, the Lakers players on the floor bitched about the call. And even though it was just five minutes into the game, Lakers coach J.J. Redick decided to challenge the decision. It turned out to be a successful challenge, as the referees explained Reaves was set up in a legal guarding position just outside the restricted area. Thus, the overturned call didn’t just take away the dunk from Moody, it handed the Dubs youngster an offensive foul for charging, too.
Admittedly, the replay makes it clear this was a fair call. But many (so many) Warriors fans were pre-emptively feeling like the referees were going to favor the Lakers on Thursday night. That sentiment dominated Reddit ahead of the game — and after the overturned call, more Warriors fans on social media bitched and moaned about the referees.
(Admittedly, there is plenty of history of the referees being right in the thick of the discourse whenever the stakes are this high for a Warriors-Lakers showdown.)
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While you never know how much one play will impact a game in the long run, the overturned dunk didn’t slow the Dubs in the first quarter, as the Warriors led the Lakers 26-22 at the end of the first 12 minutes of action.
April 3, 2025
