Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves was ejected from a game on Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets after berating an official.
In the third quarter of what would go on to be a 100-97 defeat to Charlotte, Reaves drove to the basket and lost control of the ball when it was poked away by newly-minted Hornet Jusuf Nurkic.
Reaves was irate that officials didn’t call a foul in that instance and began cursing at referee Rodney Mott.
He appeared to yell, ‘That’s a f***ing foul’ at Mott – leading to his first technical foul.
As he was walking away, he turned back to say something again to Mott – who blew his whistle again and gave Reaves his second technical, kicking him out of the game.
Reaves left the game with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting – with an additional two rebounds, two ᴀssists, one steal, and two blocks.
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Lakers star guard Austin Reaves was ejected for screaming at officials over a missed foul call
After having the ball knocked from his hands, Reaves screamed at referee Rodney Mott – who tossed him late in the third quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets
LeBron James led the Lakers in scoring, but couldn’t pull them over the line as they lost by 3
After the game, Reaves’ teammate LeBron James explained what may have happened that led up to the 26-year-old calling it an early night.
‘He said that the f-bomb too many times,’ James told reporters after the game. ‘But he said it in the beginning, and then he left it alone … I think Rodney thought he said it again, but he didn’t say it again.’
Reaves addressed the ejection himself, saying, ‘I get the first one. Obviously, I approached him, I vocally said what I needed to say and the second one I was surprised.
‘I was walking away, and as soon as I heard the whistle, I kind of knew what had happened but I felt it was quick.’
Los Angeles was leading 65-57 at the time of Reaves’ ejection with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. But after he was tossed, the Hornets seized momentum and put up a 12-1 run to take a three point lead into the fourth quarter. They’d hold on to win by three.
James led the Lakers in scoring with 26 points. Despite putting up a 14 point, 11 rebound double-double, Luka Doncic sH๏τ an awful 5-for-18 on the night as he continues to get used to playing in a Lakers uniform.
After losing back-to-back games to the Utah Jazz and the Hornets, the Lakers next travel up to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles, a team that was very busy at the trade ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, sits fifth in the Western Conference and is hoping to make a deep playoff run after losing in the first round of the postseason last year.
