The Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies played more than 13 minutes in the third quarter of their game on Friday due to a clock error that went unnoticed. The NBA confirmed the error on Saturday, stating that the game clock was inaccurately set during the game. After a shot clock violation, the clock was set at 2:20 instead of 1:14, but no one noticed the mistake in real time, including the teams, referees, and game clock operator.
The error was not identified until after the game had ended, and it was brought to light on social media on Saturday afternoon. This incident comes at the end of a unique season for the Lakers, who played an extra game that did not count in the standings due to participating in the in-season tournament finals.
The Lakers have one final regular-season game on Sunday and can secure the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference by winning against the New Orleans Pelicans. Depending on the outcome of the Suns’ finale against the Timberwolves, the Lakers could face either the Pelicans or Phoenix in the play-in tournament.
The seeding of the Lakers in the play-in tournament could be affected by the results of the Sacramento-Portland and Golden State-Utah games if they lose to the Pelicans. Ultimately, the Lakers are looking to secure their spot in the playoffs and make a strong push for success.