The Los Angeles Lakers took accountability for their shortcomings in the Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets. But they couldn’t ignore some of the odd calls. Five technical fouls were assessed, including to Deandre Ayton, where even Alperen Sengun felt his ejection was “soft”. At the end of the game, Marcus Smart had some words for James Williams, the head official, as both teams had to be separated with emotions boiling over.
“We all understood it was some BS,” Smart claimed during his press conference after his furious interaction with Williams. He was trouble-bound after those actions. Likewise, the NBA announced fines for Smart and another Lakers star for their collision with the officials at the end of the game.
According to Brett Siegel, Smart was handed a $35,000 fine for “questioning the integrity of game officials”. Sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who failed to hit a single three-pointer for the first time in the series, received a $25,000 fine for directing inappropriate language towards the referees.
This is now the second game in a matter of days where players have raised their voices against officiating. Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker was fined $35,000 for his explosive postgame comments in what he termed a “terrible” performance from James Williams. The Lakers felt the same way.
It wasn’t just the decision to eject Ayton for an inadvertent elbow. Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday were ejected for merely arguing in the fourth quarter when the game had lost all meaning. Those harsh decisions didn’t swing the tide. The Rockets dominated the game on both ends of the floor. However, the call to remove DA stole an opportunity.
Ayton was the most comfortable of all Lakers scorers, getting 19 and 10 rebounds before his expulsion from the game. Smart has overseen his development, constantly feeding praise for the Lakers big man. Seeing him unfairly tossed sparked a reaction that the NBA couldn’t leave unpunished.
The Lakers did most of the hard work in the first three games of the series. They even got a win on the road. Hence, the Game 4 result didn’t matter as much. The Lakers will now go back to their home, with a passionate crowd waiting to encourage their players. However, Marcus Smart and the Lakers aren’t taking their foot off the gas.
The Lakers didn’t intend on losing Game 4, let alone being completely outplayed by the Houston Rockets. In the postseason, all it takes is one game for momentum to change sides. So Smart was clear. Although the team is heading into an environment conducive to what they intend to achieve, there’s still a need to play with energy and precision.
“You know, we came out and you know, tonight and we. tried. We just didn’t have it. That’s part of it but you know, they had the crowd behind them a little bit more energy because of that but, there’s no time for let up, you know. Now they got to come to our house, and we get our home crowd behind us and we get that momentum to in our house so, but no, definitely no let up,” said Smart.
The Lakers have the edge. Nobody expected that to be the case. They are without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. With the Rockets having a better collection of talent, it’s integral for the Lakers to have a spotless performance. That’s what those first three games were, including a stunning comeback in Game 3 that gave them a massive cushion in this series.
Those demands won’t change with a 3-1 scoreline. The Lakers need to be near perfect to get the better of a Rockets side that seems to have found its confidence after Game 4. In short, the Lakers need to take Game 5 and finish this series. If the Rockets even get a sniff of tasting victory, Ime Udoka will chase it down.
And with Game 6 going back to Houston, the Lakers could be in jeopardy if they don’t close out this series at home. There’s no time for perfect. The Purple and Gold have to finish the job once and for all. Otherwise, they risk giving Houston a chance of overturning a 3-0 deficit for the first time in NBA history.
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