Celtics edge Lakers amid controversy

LOS ANGELES

The Boston Celtics edged the Los Angeles Lakers 125-121 in an overtime battle tinged by controversy on Jan. 28 as Philadelphia 76ers big-man Joel Embiid out-dueled Denver’s Nikola Jokic as NBA rivalries took center stage.

The league-leading Celtics came out on top in a game that featured 19 lead changes, snapping a three-game skid.

The Lakers led by seven midway through the fourth quarter, but Jaylen Brown converted a three-point play to tie it up at 105-105 with 4.1 seconds left.

He went on to score 11 points in the extra session after LeBron James’s drive to the basket at the end of regulation ended in a miss, with James and the Lakers pleading for a foul call after Jayson Tatum brushed his arm.

The call didn’t come and Boston prevailed, withstanding a 41-point performance from James, who jumped up and down in frustration at the non-call before kneeling on the court.

“I don’t understand it,” James said, adding that he didn’t think it was the first time a non-call proved costly to the Lakers this season.

Los Angeles star Anthony Davis said the Lakers were “cheated,” and officiating crew chief Eric Lewis told reporters after the game that the crew had “missed the play.”

“There was contact,” Lewis said. “At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul.”

In Philadelphia, Embiid, who finished runner-up to Jokic in voting for Most Valuable Player honors the past two seasons, insisted there was no “rivalry” between him and the Nuggets star.

“I love the big fella,” Embiid told broadcaster ABC after pouring in 47 points to lead the 76ers to a 126-119 victory.

Embiid also grabbed 18 rebounds to help the Sixers erase a 15-point halftime deficit on the way to a seventh straight win.

Elsewhere, Chris Paul scored 31 points and Mikal Bridges added 25 as the Phoenix Suns spoiled San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich’s 74th birthday with a 128-118 overtime victory over the Spurs.