Lakers fans slam official for ejecting Luka Doncic over trash talk targeted toward fan

Luka Doncic was tossed from Tuesday night’s 136-120 loss to the OKC Thunder after picking up two technical fouls. With one already to his name, Doncic was ejected after jawing with a fan following a made bucket.

Referee J.T. Orr, who was standing nearby during the exchange, hit Doncic with the second technical for his interaction with a member of the crowd, sending the Mavs star to the locker room.

The call drew the ire of Lakers fans, especially given the playoff implications as LA continues pushing to secure the No. 3 seed in the West.

“JT Orr needs to be investigated like Eric Lewis,” one user posted, referencing the former NBA official who retired in 2023 after a probe into his use of a burner account defending refs online, violating league rules.

“STOP CONTROLLING THE GAME,” another Lakers fan commented.

“Refs against the lakers,” another said.

Here are other reactions:

“J.T. Orr instantly surpasses Tony Brothers,” one said.

“I still can’t believe that ejection by JT Orr,” another commented.

“I shouldn’t know who JT Orr is, but he basically costs the Lakers this game because of his quick trigger,” another added.

Orr also assessed a technical foul on Jarred Vanderbilt later in the game after the Lakers forward stared down Alex Caruso.

Lakers run out of steam after Luka Doncic ejection, fall vs OKC

The LA Lakers were clinging to a 108-107 lead when Luka Doncic was ejected, but from that point, they were outscored 31-12 in the final stretch.

Doncic had 23 points and five assists on 7-of-15 shooting before his exit, with LeBron James and Austin Reaves stepping up for the Lakers with 28 and 24 points respectively. Still, it wasn’t enough to withstand a furious OKC finish.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in the Thunder’s final home game of the regular season, powered OKC with 42 points, six rebounds and six assists. OKC outscored LA 39-22 in the fourth to end their two-game skid and notch their 65th win.

Jalen Williams added 26 points and Lu Dort chipped in 17.

Up next for the Lakers: a back-to-back against Luka Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, followed by games against the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.

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alt=”John Ezekiel Hirro” height=”72″ width=”72″>

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro