Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves was thrown out of Wednesday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets after confronting a referee.
In the third quarter of the eventual 100-97 loss, Reaves drove to the hoop but lost the ball when it was knocked away by recent Hornets addition Jusuf Nurkic.
Reaves was furious that no foul was called on the play and started shouting expletives at referee Rodney Mott.
He seemed to shout, “That’s a f***ing foul” at Mott, resulting in his first technical foul.
While walking away, Reaves turned back to say something else to Mott, who immediately blew his whistle again, issuing a second technical and ejecting him from the game.
Reaves finished the night with eight points on 3-of-9 shooting, along with two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks.
After the game, LeBron James shared his thoughts on what might have led the 26-year-old to an early exit.
“He dropped the f-bomb too many times,” James told reporters after the game. “But he said it once at the start and then let it go … I think Rodney thought he said it again, but he didn’t.”
Reaves also addressed his ejection, saying, “I get the first one. Obviously, I approached him and said what I needed to say, but the second one surprised me.
“I was walking away, and as soon as I heard the whistle, I kind of knew what happened, but it felt quick.”
At the time of Reaves’ ejection, Los Angeles held a 65-57 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter. However, after he was tossed, Charlotte gained momentum, going on a 12-1 run to take a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and ultimately securing the three-point victory.
James led the Lakers with 26 points, while Luka Dončić struggled offensively despite posting a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double, shooting just 5-of-18 from the field as he continues adjusting to his new team.
Following back-to-back losses to the Jazz and Hornets, the Lakers will head to Portland for their next matchup against the Trail Blazers.
Los Angeles, which made several moves at the trade deadline, currently holds the fifth spot in the Western Conference and aims for a deep playoff run after last season’s first-round exit.
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