From the Crypto.com Arena to the Paycom Center, the Thunder-Lakers clash continues to fuel NBA drama. On April 6, LeBron James and Co. crushed OKC by 27. Fast forward to Tuesday—OKC came out swinging, the Lakers held firm, and then things unraveled. The turning point? A heated moment involving Luka Doncic. What followed left more questions than answers. And for head coach JJ Redick, it was the rival’s gameplay and strategic execution that seems to have added to his worries.

There is a reason why the Oklahoma City Thunder are the first seed of the West. A 65-14 record and one three more games until the regular season comes to an end. Nothing seems to be stopping these beasts from conquering the NBA world. However, this dominance with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 42-point game became menacing for Redick & Co.

Thus, speaking to the media in the post-game press conference, the rookie coach admitted his concerns. He said: “I thought the biggest thing, the entire first half — they [OKC] just played really fast. And we had trouble setting our defense.” JJ Redick added: “So, whether that was makes or misses, it was very obvious they were putting an emphasis on getting the ball across and attacking early.”

So, the Los Angeles Lakers head coach emphasized that the Thunder had that merciless pace in the first half, making it difficult for their team to set up defensively. The other team consistently pushed the ball up quickly and attacked early, whether they made or missed their shots. The Redick pointed out what he observed throughout the game to the media.

JJ Redick noted: “First play of the game, you know, Shai just going downhill. So, I think that was it. And then, you know, they played a lot of coverage with Hartenstein, mixed in a little bit of blitzing and a couple of reds here and there. But, you know, they mostly played coverage with him.” Surely, OKC and their strategy helped them win this second game vs. the Lakers. However, the major disruption caused during the match with Doncic’s foul and ejection had its ill effects on the Purple and Gold.

Like most people, JJ Redick, LeBron James, and Jarred Vanderbilt are failing to understand what truly happened on the floor. Why did the referee hand Luka Doncic a second technical foul and eject him from the game? Is it seriously some personal vendetta, as many are pointing out? Or sheer misunderstanding of some sort?

JJ Redick’s confusion and the Lakers’ strong accusation over Luka Doncic’s ejection reveal a bigger issue

Luka Doncic drilled a tough shot and jawed at a Thunder fan—then got thrown out moments later as his night took an abrupt turn. Referee J.T. Orr, perhaps mistaking the target of Doncic’s trash talk, hit him with a second technical. As a result, the star was ejected stunningly, leaving fans and analysts baffled.

JJ Redick publicly expressed his distaste for the episode during the postgame presser. He sharply retorted: “That, unfortunately, didn’t get to sort of finish out the way that I think every basketball fan would want because of some decision-making on some individuals’ parts.” Meanwhile, LeBron James called the incident weird. However, Jarred Vanderbilt, who witnessed everything firsthand, had a unique angle to share.

Speaking to media in the locker room, Vando said: “He felt I got fouled, which I did get fouled on. You know, I got stumped across the head. He was just telling the ref that that’s what happened. And, you know, the ref was just like, ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody. I can talk to anybody but Luka, obviously.’ So, you know, it seemed a little personal at that point.” Simply put, Doncic was simply advocating for Jarred to J.T Orr when things took an odd turn. “He said he wasn’t trying to talk to anybody on the team but Luka. So, I don’t know what that was about, but yeah,” Vando concluded.

In the end, confusion and controversy swallowed what should’ve been a fierce battle. While OKC’s dominance left its mark, the bizarre ejection of Luka Doncic overshadowed it all. Redick’s concern, LeBron’s disbelief, and Vando’s firsthand account now raise deeper questions. Perhaps the real game was lost in miscommunication.