The Los Angeles Lakers are going head-to-head against the Houston Rockets tonight. LeBron James and Co. faced trouble early in the game as the young Rockets squad took a commanding 18-point lead in the first half. To make matters worse, Forward Jarred Vanderbilt got ejected from the game in the second quarter after an altercation with Dillon Brooks.

While both players were battling for a rebound, Brooks shoved Vanderbilt to box him out. Vando retaliated with a shove of his own, which got him his first technical foul. The Lakers Forward was not happy with the call, as Brooks was the one who initiated contact. A frustrated Vanderbilt walked towards Brooks and hit him in the back of his head in front of the referee. The officials awarded Vando a second technical foul and ejected him from the game for the unnecessary contact. Laker Nation was fuming after the controversial ejection. A fan posted the video of the sequence on X and deemed Vanderbilt’s ejection the “Weakest ejection” he had ever seen. The NBA World followed suit.

When one fan asked why Vanderbilt got ejected, another replied, “Got Baited by Dillon.”

Many fans also called the game “rigged” because of the controversial call by the officials.

Even a Rockets fan showed sympathy towards Vanderbilt after his ejection.

However, some fans claimed Dillon Brooks owned the Lakers and got in Vanderbilt’s head by baiting him.

Jarred Vanderbilt’s struggles continue

Jarred Vanderbilt played 7 minutes and scored only 3 points before getting booted from the game. He has been unable to return to last season’s form this year due to multiple injuries. Rob Pelinka gave Vanderbilt a 4-year $48 million contract extension last summer after his incredible performance in the 2022-23 season.

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However, his performance this year has been very underwhelming. Vando is averaging only 4.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in the 26 games he has played this season. He was starting to show glimpses of his former self in recent games, averaging 14.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.3 steals in the last 3 games. Unfortunately, tonight’s controversial ejection halted his impressive run.

With Vanderbilt out of the game, the Lakers got dominated on both ends of the floor by the young Rockets squad. Apart from Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and D’Angelo Russell, no other Lakers player was able to cross the 6-point mark in the first half. The Lakers need a miraculous second-half performance to erase their 18-point deficit and come out with a win. Do you believe Vanderbilt’s ejection will cost the Lakers tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets?

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