Officiating decisions are always a sensitive point in crucial NBA games, and a recent game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers became a prime example. The Thunder won 136-120 on Tuesday night, but a controversial moment overshadowed the result. With the Lakers leading 108-107 in the fourth quarter, Luka Dončić made a floater over Isaiah Hartenstein.
Dončić then turned to speak to someone who appeared to be a fan near the court in Oklahoma City. However, referee J.T. Orr mistakenly believed Dončić was addressing him. Having already received a technical foul in the third quarter, this second technical led to Dončić`s ejection from the game.
Dončić vehemently protested, insisting he was talking to a fan, but his pleas were ignored. The Lakers were forced to continue the game without their key player.
Video evidence and the game context suggest the ejection was questionable. It seemed Dončić was indeed interacting with a fan. Even if there was ambiguity, the game was tightly contested between two strong teams with significant playoff implications. On Wednesday, the NBA admitted the error, rescinding the technical foul after reviewing the incident.
Despite the rescission, it doesn`t change the outcome for the Lakers, who faltered without Dončić in the final minutes. Their one-point lead quickly turned into a 16-point loss in just over seven minutes. This shift in momentum had major consequences for both teams. The Thunder are vying for home-court advantage in the playoffs, potentially against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A Lakers victory would have narrowed Oklahoma City`s lead over Cleveland to a single game in the loss column with only three games remaining.
The Lakers, on the other hand, needed two wins in their final four games to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Now, they require two wins in their last three. While still favored, it`s not guaranteed. Their schedule includes a game against the Mavericks on Wednesday, which will be emotionally charged for Dončić as he returns to Dallas, followed by a game against Houston on Friday where the Rockets` player availability is uncertain. They conclude the season against the Blazers, a team in the lottery but recently playing competitively.
After the game, Dončić confirmed to reporters that he was speaking to a fan.
`I have never gotten a fan ejected, never. But if they are going to talk, I will always talk back,` Dončić stated (according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic). `It had nothing to do with the referee. I genuinely didn`t understand.`
Referee Orr interpreted the situation differently. Tony Brothers, the officiating crew chief, explained to a pool reporter that Dončić received the second technical foul for `looking directly at an official and using vulgar language.` The first technical was also for `directing profanity at a game official,` according to Brothers.
Dončić is known for engaging in banter with fans who interact with him. Recently, he was filmed exchanging words with a fan who shouted `ball don`t lie` when he went to the free-throw line.
Ideally, superstars should not be ejected unless absolutely necessary, and in this instance, the decision seemed excessively hasty.
Jasper Hawthorne