DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot against Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks in the first quarter at American Airlines Center on November 01, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Lakers were nearly a full 24 hours away from their 2020 NBA playoff opener against Portland and, already, there was LeBron James complaining about the officiating.
Of course, it had nothing to do with the Lakers. It was the questionable call that saw Dallas star Kristaps Porzingis get ejected from the Mavericks’ Game 1 loss to the Clippers on Monday night that had James riled up. It was Porzingis’ second technical of the game.
“Man that was BOGUS AS HELL MAN!!!!!” James tweeted. “Cmon man.”
Man that was BOGUS AS HELL MAN!!!!! Cmon man. 🤦🏾♂️
The play that saw Porzingis run afoul from the referees was, indeed, relatively mild, coming less than three minutes into the second half. After a scuffle during a stoppage in play involving the Clippers’ Marcus Morris and the Mavs’ Luka Doncic, Porzingis stepped in to push Morris off Doncic.
Both Morris and Porzingis were given technical fouls. Porzingis had gotten his first technical midway through the second quarter, after throwing the forbidden “air punch” in frustration of what he felt was a bad call, setting himself up for ejection based on this relatively mild play:
Kristaps Porzingis just got his second tech after he… well he really didn’t do much of anything
LeBron James One of Many Outraged by Porzingis Ejection
James was hardly the only observer of the NBA who was upset with the turn of events. One player who was also frustrated was Dallas’ most prominent frontcourt predecessor of Porzingis’, Dirk Nowtizki, who did not feel that it was an entirely earned ejection.
That ejection is super soft…
Twelve-year NBA veteran Rex Chapman replied to Nowitzki with his agreement.
@swish41 Super
But it was not just within the basketball world that the call on Porzingis was found to be objectionable. Reigning NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes labeled the call, “trash.”
That’s trash man! 🗑 #NBAPlayoffs
And it should be no surprise that a Lakers superfan like Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, would be outraged for a call that so clearly benefited the Clippers, the Lakers’ intracity rival. He called the Porzingis ejection, “pathetic,” among some other things.
Kickin porzingis out for that??? That is horse shit. Pathetic.
Clippers Are the Big Threat to the Lakers in NBA Playoffs
But James is obviously also keeping a close eye on the Clippers, seeded No. 2 in the Western Conference and considered by many to be the favorites to win the conference and the NBA championship. On VegasInsider.com, the Clippers are listed as the second favorites to win the title, behind Milwaukee, and are 8-to-5 to win the West. The Lakers are 9-to-5.
Should the Lakers advance in the playoffs, it would be beneficial if the Mavs knocked off the Clippers.
Dallas was leading, 71-66, at the time in what was a tight and testy game. The teams had missed 12 of their first 13 shots in the second half. For Porzingis, the ejection was especially eventful because Monday’s showdown against the Clippers was the first playoff game of his five-year career. He had 14 points and 6 rebounds but was only 3-for-9 shooting from the field.
The Clippers were on the ropes for most of the game but went on a 9-2 run after Porzingis’ ejection to retake the lead.
“It’s unfortunate,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “We just learn from it. You’ve got to understand this is part of the emotions of the playoffs. He was protecting his teammate on the second technical which is the right thing to do in the playoffs. The first one, which was the air punch, that is automatic. … We’ll avoid that in Game 2 and we’ll go from there.”
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