Barkley’s Basket Has a Catch to It--or Perhaps Two or Three

Did he make the shot in time? Was it offensive goal-tending?

The Lakers might have had reason to complain when Charles Barkley caught and dunked a three-point attempt by Dan Majerle with 2:28 to play in the fourth quarter Sunday.

Replays showed Barkley might have been a split-second behind the 24-second clock, but officials allowed the basket to count. It gave the Suns a 91-89 lead, which the Lakers soon overcame on baskets by James Worthy and Elden Campbell.

“I thought it was above the cylinder,” Laker center Vlade Divac said. “I can’t say exactly.”

However, none of the Lakers blamed that basket for their 112-104 overtime loss.

“Phoenix is the best team in the league and they deserve to go on to the second round,” Divac said.

Said Laker guard Sedale Threatt: “We’ve been coming back in the whole series. We had our chances. One rebound and one missed shot, and it’s probably a different result.”