Deandre Ayton’s first career ejection during the Lakers’ defeat to the Houston Rockets has sparked discussion, with some questioning the severity of the call.
Ayton’s Explanation and the ‘Soft’ Call
Ayton attributed the ejection to an accidental elbow to the back of Alperen Sengun’s head. He explained, “We’re both sweaty guys,” after the incident in Sunday’s Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers centre was assessed a flagrant foul 2 with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter of the 115-96 defeat. Ayton acknowledged it “looked crazy on camera” but insisted it wasn’t malicious. He said he was bracing for contact against Sengun and his arm simply slipped off Sengun’s shoulder and hit his head.
Sengun and Rockets coach Ime Udoka both described the flagrant 2 call as “soft.” Sengun said he didn’t expect Ayton to be ejected for the play. Injured Rockets star Kevin Durant waved goodbye from the Rockets bench when Ayton was sent off.
Teammate Reaction and Ayton’s Character
Lakers guard Marcus Smart said, “The ejection, we all understood it was some BS, right?” He added, “That’s what we felt. … But we’re proud of the way he handled it, and I think that just speaks volume about who he is and his progression.”
Smart noted Ayton’s composure, saying it “probably would have been justifiable if he went off, right? But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think that’s only going to help him and this team.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick called Ayton, “a sweet, just, like, kind soul.”
Pressure to Increase Intensity
Ayton has long been known more for his finesse touch shots than physical play. Lakers coaches and teammates have tried to encourage him to increase his intensity and aggressiveness. General manager Rob Pelinka even made a custom shirt with half of Ayton’s face next to the face of a lion.
Ayton answered the call with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He was one of the Lakers’ only forms of consistent offense in the blowout loss. Outside of Ayton and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers were shooting 31.3% from the field in the first three quarters. They trailed by as many as 26 points as Smart and LeBron James led the team to a 3-0 lead.
Ayton said, “I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or plays like that,” adding, “If anything, me trying to play dirty, I’ll damn near hurt myself. I just hope he’s all right and they don’t think it was intentional.”
The Rockets forced a Game 5 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.