Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battled each other in the last game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers were outblown by the top seed of the Western Conference, 96-139, in a matchup that was completely dominated by the reigning NBA champions right from the tip-off. However, at one moment of the game, the Slovenian guard took a blow to the leg and was then sledged by a fan, which even annoyed Austin Reaves.
In the third quarter, when the Lakers trailed 58-90, Doncic banged his leg with Jalen Williams, who was defending the 6-time NBA All-Star. After the referee’s whistle, the guard lay on the floor with his hands on his face. A fan sitting courtside tried to heckle him and call him out for flopping the injury. Reaves quickly stood in support of his teammate.
The fan repeated, “he’s not even hurt,” multiple times, which led the Lakers’ shooting guard not to tolerate the fan’s comments and call him out openly. The video of the incident was shared on social media, and NBA reporter Ashley Nicole Moss shared her thoughts on the incident. She wrote:
“absolutely disgusting. it’s so classless to make jokes (or cheer) towards a player who is hurt. so much respect to Austin Reaves for defending his guy. honestly, that fan should’ve been escorted out. so damn gross.”
Fans have often engaged in altercations with players, leading to similar moments during games. Meanwhile, it was a difficult game for Doncic, who even limped off the court and was out for a period of time. He scored just 12 points and seven assists in the game and shot 3-10 from the field and 1-7 from deep.
Luka Doncic and Co. get exposed before the OKC Thunder’s defense
The LA starting lineup committed eight turnovers in the first quarter against OKC, compared to two by the Thunder, leading to a 21-44 gap. Both teams played their best starting lineups, but a difference in hustle plays was evident between the two sides. The team has already been struggling with defense the entire season, and their woes were exposed against a team that plays the best defense in the league.
The only positive the Lakers could take from the game was their bench production, which contributed 42 points to the total tally. Jaxson Hayes and Bronny James scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, coming off the bench.
This was the second of the three matchups scheduled between the two teams. They will again play each other on April 7. The Lakers will look to even the record and get their confidence back before the playoffs begin.
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