The Minnesota Timberwolves seized a 2-1 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers with a hard-fought victory at the Target Center on Friday night. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels led the charge for Minnesota, scoring 29 and 30 points, respectively, while LeBron James delivered a strong performance for the Lakers with 38 points and 10 rebounds in 41 minutes.
However, the game was marred by controversy after multiple players claimed to hear a fake whistle blown from the crowd, leading to widespread calls for the NBA to investigate potential interference. Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin revealed that the deceptive whistle sounded multiple times in the second half before arena officials addressed it.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Goodwin stated, “Jordan Goodwin said he heard a whistle coming from the stands three or four times in the second half before it was addressed by the arena announcer. He added that LeBron James even hesitated on one play, mistaking the fan’s whistle for an official’s call.”
Fans quickly took to social media, demanding accountability. One user tweeted, “Heard it clearly on the broadcast—how did the refs miss this?” Another criticized the officials, writing, “Players tried to alert the refs, but they just ignored it. Unacceptable.” Some called for league intervention, with comments like, “@NBA, are you really going to let this slide? This is blatant cheating,” while others sarcastically suggested, “Maybe someone should call Adam Silver directly.”
The confusion even affected gameplay, as Lakers forward Luka Doncic was seen stopping mid-play, yelling, “There’s a whistle!”—a moment highlighted by commentator Mike Breen. With tensions rising, the league now faces mounting pressure to address the incident and determine whether disciplinary action is warranted.
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