Not how the Lakers wanted to start the second half of their season! Well, they were on fire heading into the All-Star break, having won six of their last seven games. And the LA franchise hoped to continue that momentum tonight against the Hornets. But things took a U-turn when a heated altercation with the officials got Austin Reaves booted from the game. If you witnessed the incident, some people say the ref got his feelings hurt. But that’s the course of the game these days. You can’t argue with the officials.

The incident occurred in the closing minutes of the third quarter. During a drive to the basket for a potential layup attempt, Reaves lost the ball after a hit from Jusuf Nurkić. While he expected a whistle on Nurk, the officials let the play carry on. Sure enough, AR was heated because of the no-call and immediately charged toward the referee, yelling and complaining about it. As expected, that got him his first technical foul.

But the situation escalated when Reaves was hit with an immediate second technical as he continued chirping at the ref while walking away. Unfortunately, his emotional outburst led to his ejection, and he left the court confused and frustrated. Austin’s night ended early with that call finishing with only 8 points and two assists.

Well, this is his first single-digit game in a very long time because Reaves has been on fire this season, averaging 19.1 points and over six assists. And he has been the Lakers’ only consistent star besides LeBron James, and Anthony Davis before the trade. So, his ejection was a massive blow for the LA franchise as they struggled against the Hornets.

Moreover, the incident raises concerns about Reaves’ tactical fit with LeBron and Luka. The loss to the Hornets raised questions on whether Reaves remains vital to the team. Likewise, the Lakers’ need for a premier interior defender remains high after this game.

Austin Reaves addressed fit concerns with Luka Doncic and LeBron James before ejection against Hornets

When AD was on the Lakers, Reaves was the perfect third option on the team. An unselfish player who can take care of the ball when LeBron is resting and create easy buckets for Davis. But his fit has been a concern since the Luka-Davis trade because now, the LA franchise has three ball-dominant stars who practically play the same position.

However, Reaves remains optimistic despite the concerns, as he said in a recent interview, “They’re gonna do whatever they think can help our team be successful and that’s all that matters at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter who gets talked about the most. It matters if we’re winning games and trying to make a run in the playoffs. So, I can’t wait to figure that out.” Getting the three stars to play in the team becomes a conundrum for JJ Redick to find a solution. But Austin’s going all in!

“But I’m here for it. Like I said, I can’t wait and I’m gonna do whatever I can do to complement those guys and, at the same time, help everybody else out and play winning basketball,” said a pumped-up Reaves, looking to help the two icons. Reaves can be a vital clog in the system with his shooting and, hopefully, Redick solves the issue.

However, Austin’s ejection tonight reflected poorly on him, showing a lack of emotional control. It eventually cost the team. Hopefully, he will be more aware of the consequences in the future. What are your thoughts?