WATCH: LA Lakers LeBron James leaves referee Scott Foster bloodied in courtside collision

During the second quarter of Saturday's Game 3 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, an accidental collision between LeBron James and referee Scott Foster resulted in Foster getting bloodied.

Impact to the face

The incident occurred with 2:29 left in the second quarter, just after Jamal Murray of the Nuggets made a short jumper, giving Denver a 55-48 lead. James, slightly slow in transitioning back, turned to sprint and ended up running into Foster, who took the impact to his face with his whistle in his mouth, causing him to bleed.

After the collision, a Lakers medical staffer attended to Foster and managed to stop the bleeding. Foster assured referee Bill Kennedy that he was alright despite the incident.

Nuggets one victory away from playoff finals

The Nuggets held a 58-55 lead heading into halftime, largely due to Jamal Murray's impressive performance, as he had already scored 30 points in the game. Murray continued to shine, finishing the game with 37 points, including 23 points in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' Game 2 victory.

The moment captured by the microphones, showed LeBron James apologising to Foster for the collision. Foster, with a touch of humor, responded by saying, "You've been wanting to do that for 25 years." However, despite the Lakers' efforts, the Nuggets ultimately emerged victorious with a 119-108 win, taking a commanding 3-0 series lead.