By Sunday 
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves wasn’t short on drama — and LeBron James wasn’t about to let one particular moment slide without speaking his mind.
“Hand Is Part of the Ball”
After the 116-113 defeat, a frustrated but composed LeBron sat down at the postgame press conference to address the controversial foul call that had everyone talking. When asked about the play, he didn’t mince words:
“That play happens all the time,” James said. “Hand is a part of the ball. That’s what they say. I felt like the hand was a part of that ball. His hand was on top of that ball, and the ball stripped out on him. Seen that play over and over before, but it is what it is.”
It’s a rule that’s been up for interpretation for years — if the defender hits the shooter’s hand while making contact with the ball, it’s generally considered legal. But when the stakes are this high, even a minor call (or non-call) can swing the entire momentum of a playoff game.
A Call That Changed the Game — But Not the Only Reason
To be fair, the controversial whistle wasn’t the Lakers’ only problem. They entered the fourth quarter with a solid 10-point lead but quickly watched it evaporate as fatigue set in. Offensive flow broke down, defensive rotations got sloppy, and Anthony Edwards spearheaded a fierce Timberwolves comeback.
While LeBron still finished the night with 27 points, he was virtually invisible in the fourth quarter — scoring zero points when the Lakers needed him most. That lack of late-game production hurt, but so did the overall team stagnation.
Adding to the struggle, Luka Doncic (who was battling through illness) dropped 38 points, but his typically strong playmaking was noticeably absent, ending the game with just two assists. Without Doncic orchestrating, the Lakers’ offense often looked stuck in mud.
Lessons and Urgency Heading Into Game 5
At the end of the day, the loss wasn’t just about one foul call — it was about a culmination of missed opportunities, poor execution, and tired legs. Still, the frustration over that one whistle is understandable when it could have tilted the outcome in such a tight contest.
Now down 3-1 in the series, the Lakers are officially in do-or-die territory. They’ll return to Crypto.com Arena for Game 5 on Wednesday night, hoping to fix what went wrong and keep their postseason hopes alive.
Because if there’s one thing we know about LeBron James — and the Lakers — it’s that you can never fully count them out.