The LA Lakers were losing badly in the third quarter of Game 4 when a Deandre Ayton incident added to their woes. At around the 5:41 mark, Ayton’s elbow collided with Alperen Sengun’s head as Ayton tried to defend the shaded lane.
For this infraction, Ayton was ejected from the game. Surprisingly, two key figures on the opposing team came to his defense. After the Houston Rockets completed a 115-96 blowout of the Lakers, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka indicated that he didn’t completely agree with the call on Ayton.
“That’s the NBA now. They call it a little softer than they used to.”
Way before Deandre Ayton began his NBA career, Ime Udoka was a rugged wingman who played in an era where physicality was more prevalent.
Aside from Udoka, Sengun himself expressed empathy for his Lakers counterpart.
“I don’t want to, like, make the officials crazy, but I didn’t expect him to be ejected. I think it was a little bit soft. I’m glad they called it.”
Ayton’s ejection did not help the Lakers’ cause, and the no. 4 seed blew a chance to sweep the Rockets and book an early ticket to the second round. Still, things look bleak for Houston as no team has ever come back from an 0-3 series deficit.
“I Just Slipped Off His Shoulder”: Deandre Ayton Offers an Explanation on Sequence That Led to His Ejection
Speaking to reporters after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss, Deandre Ayton gave his side. According to Ayton, he had no intention of hitting Sengun in that manner.
“I was really just trying to brace the contact of Sengun and we’re both sweaty guys. I just slipped off his shoulder and it literally my elbow hit him right there above his shoulders.”
Ayton, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of play, also denied that he was a “dirty player,” saying that he was just “playing hard” at that moment.
