Getty

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers were hanging close with the Oklahoma City Thunder for much of Thursday’s Game 2 loss (by a 125-107 final score) in the Western Conference semifinals, and were even leading the game early in the third quarter, by a 63-61 count, when Austin Reaves was defending OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the perimeter. Reaves and Gilgeous-Alexander locked arms out near the 3-point line, and at that point Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to clamp down on Reaves’ arm and attempt to yank it.

It’s a dangerous play, and because of it, SGA was whistled for a flagrant foul. But many saw that as being too lenient–Reaves could have been seriously hurt, and that’s the kind of thing that should result in a flagrant foul 2, which would have seen Gilgeous-Alexander ejected from the game.

One former player who was not happy with SGA or the call was prominent analyst Eddie Johnson, who noted he is generally a supporter of the reigning MVP but that the lay against Reaves was too much to ignore.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Committed Hard Foul on Austin Reaves

After the call was made–and after a review in which the Lakers were awarded three free throws– Johnson wrote on Twitter/X, “This was a flagrant 2 and I am a SGA supporter. Flat out dirty maneuver. He could have dislocated Reeves elbow. I know. I got my shoulder dislocated on this same kind of play.”

He was not the only one unhappy with the way that played was handled.

Josh Reynolds, host of the “That’s Ball Folks” podcast, wrote on Twitter/X, “I’ve seen some crazy armbar stuff, but this is straight up UFC (expletive) from SGA… Reaves is damn lucky he’s alright. Dirty as hell.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, after the game, was nonplussed by the whole thing. “I didn’t get an explanation, but I also didn’t ask,” he said. “I am not going to be able to change the call so I didn’t even really care. But I felt like he was hugged around me and I tried to get loose. Our arms got caught–unfortunate, but, I didn’t mean to hurt him obviously, but it’s the way it goes. I got a flagrant, it is what it is, you move on.”

Lakers Angry About Officiating

That was, of course, just one call on the night, a night that when the Lakers were overtly perturbed about how the game was called. Reaves what hit with a technical foul for arguing with the referees, and was not happy about the tone taken by the officials toward the Lakers during the game. Some Lakers, including Reaves, continued arguing with the referees once the game was over.

Coach JJ Redick unloaded after the game, too.

“I sarcastically said the other day they were the most disruptive team without fouling,” Redick said. “They have a few guys that foul on every possession, and all of the good defenses do. SGA get like a, I don’t even know, a touch foul on a drive. There was a stretch where like four straight possessions our guys got absolutely clobbered. Tried to make a entry pass to Jaxson and Jaylin Williams was grabbing his jersey with both arms, and [that ends up being] a turnover.

“They’re hard enough to play. They’re hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul. And they do foul.”