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Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers walks to the court during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

As if being without Luka Doncic wasn’t enough, the Los Angeles Lakers will try to overcome the Oklahoma City Thunder in Tuesday’s Game 1 under the officiating of a controversial referee they’ve had issues with recently.

The NBA announced Tuesday morning that Crew Chief Zach Zarba and referee James Williams will officiate Game 1 of the Lakers vs. Thunder series.

Williams ejected Deandre Ayton and rookie Adou Thiero over a pair of controversial calls during Game 4 of the Lakers vs. Rockets series last month, drawing the ire of the Lakers organization. The Ayton ejection was particularly egregious as Williams upgraded a foul on Rockets center Alperen Sengun to a Flagrant 2, even though replays showed that the Bahamian accidentally struck Sengun’s head with his forearm.

Even Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Sengun were shocked at Ayton’s ejection, calling the decision “soft.”

Lakers Blast James Williams

After the game, Lakers veteran Marcus Smart walked up to Williams and confronted him for ejecting Thiero, for which he was fined $35,000. Luke Kennard was also fined $25,000 for “using inappropriate language” toward game officials.

Smart called his confrontation with Williams “very hilarious” after the game.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick also felt Ayton’s ejection was unwarranted.

“It looked like his arm just kind of slipped and, you know, obviously hit him in the head,” Redick said of Ayton’s foul on Sengun. “But I don’t know that if two was warranted, I don’t think DA would ever do anything malicious.”

Lakers vs Thunder Game 1 Officials

Shortly before Game 4 between the Lakers and Rockets, James Williams was publicly called out by Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker for a series of controversial calls in Game 2 of the first-round series between the Thunder and Suns.

Booker reached his breaking point when he felt the referee hit him with an offensive foul for the exact move that Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was not called for a few possessions later. The five-time All-Star went as far as to call out Williams by name.

“It’s definitely something that has to be looked at,” Booker said about the discrepancy of fouls called in favor of the Thunder vis-a-vis the Suns.

“I heard (Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech, and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James (Williams) was terrible tonight. Through and through. It’s bad for the sport. [It’s] bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as the WWE if they’re not held responsible.”

The usually mild-mannered Booker acknowledged that it was the first time in his career that he lashed out at officiating.

“I know I haven’t won a championship in this league, but I have been in it for 11 years now,” he said. “So, to get to this point to be treated like that, for me to even be saying something out loud, it’s bad. It’s my first time in 11 years, but it’s needed.”

If Williams continues to allow the Thunder to be super physical, don’t be shocked if Lakers players echo Booker’s sentiments in the coming days and weeks.