The Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of eliminating the Houston Rockets in Game 4, but suffered a disappointing 115-96 loss on the road, extending the series.
And the game featured plenty of big calls and punishments against the visitors. That included Deandre Ayton’s ejection due to a flagrant foul after his elbow hit the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun, and two of the Lakers’ players receiving punishments from the NBA after the game.
Those players were Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, who had a heated confrontation with referees on the court after the game had ended. An ESPN report indicated that the NBA fined Smart $35,000 fine for “questioning the integrity of game officials.” Kennard received a $25,000 fine for “directing inappropriate language toward game officials.”
Ahead of a crucial Game 5 in Los Angeles, Kennard had a chance to react to the fine he received, and didn’t seem to mind it, or at the very least, sent a clear message on where his support lies.
“I’ll always have my teammates’ backs. Not much other to say about it than that. I’ve got to be a little more composed and controlled, and can’t let emotions get the best of me,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
A clip reveals Kennard on the court along with teammates, including Smart, as he berates the officials. According to a Lakers Muse post on X, Kennard told a referee, “You f***ing suck,” and teammate Jarred Vanderbilt had to hold him back.
However, his recent response after receiving the fine shows he’s fully ready to go to battle with his new teammates. Kennard joined the Lakers via trade ahead of February’s deadline, with Los Angeles sending Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks.
After previously scorching the Lakers for 27 points in a win and following with a 23-point performance, Kennard’s scoring has declined. He had 14 points in the Game 3 win, but just seven points on 3-for-8 shooting in Game 4.
Smart finished with nine points in the loss, while LeBron James recorded 10. Ayton, who received his ejection in the third quarter after playing for 25 minutes, had a team-leading 19 points to go with 10 boards.
The Lakers will have a chance to close out this series on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, but they’ll need bigger performances from Kennard, LeBron, Smart, and others. A win puts them into a second-round matchup against the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That would feature a team and player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who many criticize for getting too many foul calls. The Lakers will certainly be in a tough spot for that series, regardless of fouls, as they are unlikely to have their superstar, Luka Doncic, back from injury in time to participate.