Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was ejected in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s Thunder-Lakers game at Paycom Center after picking up his second technical foul.
The Lakers led 108-107 with 7:40 remaining when Doncic appeared to respond to a fan courtside.
Doncic picked up his first technical foul with 4:02 left in the third quarter.
“It was a weird couple of minutes after that, starting with the ejection,” Lakers star LeBron James told reporters. “I don’t know why the ref was taking it personal. He had already given Luka one (technical) and Luka knew that.
“Luka was going back and forth at that time with a fan sitting courtside. … The ref took it upon himself to think that it was vs. him, whatever the case may be.”
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Doncic now has 14 technical fouls on the season, putting him two away from receiving a one-game suspension.
The Thunder won 136-120 to win the season series, 2-1.
Why did NBA referees eject Luka Doncic in Lakers vs. Thunder?
Crew chief Tony Brothers told pool reporter Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press that Doncic received his first technical foul after the Lakers guard “directed profanity at a game official.”
For the second technical, also called by J.T. Orr, Doncic “looked directly at an official and used vulgar language.”
What did Luka Doncic say to get ejected in Lakers’ loss vs Thunder?
Doncic said he was talking with a Thunder fan sitting courtside.
“That had nothing to do with the refs,” Doncic told reporters postgame.
ESPN reported that the Doncic’s exchange was with Thunder superfan Jeremy Price.
Whether Doncic was speaking to the official or not, he has quite the history with Thunder fans, going back to last season’s Western Conference semifinals, when he led the Mavericks to a 4-2 series win against OKC.
“I love it,” Doncic said last year of playing in OKC. “When they chant, ‘Luka sucks,’ it gets me going.”
OKC (65-14) will close out the regular season with a three-game road trip, starting Wednesday night at Phoenix.
Los Angeles (48-31) will visit Dallas on Wednesday, marking Doncic’s first trip back to American Airlines Center since February’s shocking Lakers-Mavericks trade.
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Luka Doncic stats for Lakers vs Thunder
- Points: 23
- FG shooting: 7-fot-15
- 3-point shooting: 3-for-7
- FT shooting: 6-for-7
- Assists: 5
- Rebounds: 3
- Blocks: 1
- Turnovers: 3
- Minutes: 31
