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When Luka Doncic was ejected from the Los Angeles Lakers game against the OKC Thunder with 7:40 left to play in the final frame, it got fans, experts, and even members of his own team talking.
With one technical foul already on his stat sheet, the referee took a comment Doncic seemingly made to a fan personally and threw the All-Star guard out of the game, even as his teammates came to his defense.
After the game, LeBron James commented on the situation, noting to reporters in the locker room that he didn't understand how the final minutes of the game came together.
“It was a weird couple minutes after that — starting with the ejection,” James said. “I don't know why the ref was taking it personal… Just weird as h*ll after that moment.
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt commented on the ejection too while talking to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, noting that referee J.T. Orr might actually have a personal issue with his teammate, as earlier in the game, the official made a comment to him about his disdain for No. 77.
“Jarred Vanderbilt says when Luka Doncic picked up his first technical foul, referee J.T. Orr said he would ‘Talk to anybody but Luka,'” McMenamin wrote. “Vanderbilt said that the techs Doncic received ‘seem personal.'”
Does Orr actually hold something against Doncic? Did he purposefully give the Slovenian guard a foul because he didn't like his actions, or was he simply calling the game like he saw it, with any other player getting the exact same whistle if they were in the same situation? While it's hard to tell, the Lakers can argue they lost the game because they didn't have Doncic running the show, as they were up one when he was ejected and ended up losing the game 120-136. Considering how close the standings are in the West Conference, the loss could have a serious impact on the Lakers' season.
