Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ showdown with the Houston Rockets was sure to spark some fireworks. But the matchup many expected was between Lakers star LeBron James and Rockets swingman Dillon Brooks.
Instead, James’ interaction with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka became the story
“We had some conversation, and they didn’t like what they heard,” Udoka said about the incident after the game via House of Highlights.
Udoka received his second technical of the game after an official overheard his interaction with James while the Lakers star was near the Rockets’ bench during a stoppage in play. Udoka’s ejection occurred in the fourth quarter of an eventual 107-97 Lakers win since it was his second technical foul of the game.
With no love lost postgame, Udoka referred to James simply as “the player”.
Ime Udoka got ejected after having some words with Bron 👀
“I didn’t like our physicality,” Udoka said, pointing specifically to a 35-14 Lakers’ edge in the second quarter keyed by a 25-2 run. “To kind of get punked by a team that’s not known for physicality or punking people is not a good sign.”
The Lakers trailed the Rockets 30-25 after the first quarter.
They rode that second-quarter effort to victory. The Rockets outscored them 53-47 in the second half. Los Angeles led 93-78 when officials ejected Udoka.
The win moved the Lakers to 12-9 on the season. It also extended their recent pattern of alternating wins and losses to six games. James finished with 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds, one steal, and one block. After the game, he had even less insight into the content of his interaction with Udoka than the coach did.
“Thanksgiving,” James said when asked what he was talking about with Udoka via LakeShow Interviews. “How much we enjoyed Thanksgiving.”
Anthony Davis: LeBron James ‘Just Tries Stuff’
Were it not for Udoka’s ejection, the biggest moment of the game might have been James’ spinning layup under the basket, falling to the ground with a pair of Rockets defenders draped over him.
It drew a tech over the Lakers bench’s reaction.
Can’t stop watching this, @KingJames 🤯
“It never ceases to amaze me what he’s able to do. It’s a crazy layup, it’s a crazy shot. We got a tech for it so we know it was that crazy,” Anthony Davis said. “I think it’s just, at this point in his career that he’s done everything, that he literally goes out and just tries stuff and see what works. So it was a good shot.”
“Just trying to make plays, and I felt like that was the best way to kind of finish that one,” James said. “Happy I was able to bring it home, that’s for sure. And fans got into it, crowd got into it, and our bench got into it. Got us a technical. But we’ll take it. We’ll take it. We’ll take that one.”
Up Next: Lakers vs. Suns Part III
Next up for the Lakers is a home date against the Phoenix Suns on December 5. The Suns snapped a two-game skid with a 116-104 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on December 2. They have now won eight of their last nine games.
But the Lakers have already taken the first two meetings, one of which came on the road in Footprint Arena in Phoenix. The Lakers also boast an 8-2 record at home in Crypto Currency Arena. That is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference and the fifth-best record in the NBA in terms of winning percentage. Phoenix, however, is 7-3 on the road this season.