Lakers vs Thunder Pool Report: Crew chief explains Luka Doncic's ejection

The LA Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-120 on Tuesday night after NBA All-Star Luka Doncic was ejected in the fourth quarter with 7:40 left in the game.

The Lakers were leading at the time of the ejection, but after Doncic was ejected, the Thunder mounted a 29-12 run to end the game and deleiver the Lakers their first lost since falling to the Golden State Warriors three games before.

Doncic finished the game with 23 points, but his absence following his ejection was felt. LeBron James finished the night with 28 points, while Austin Reaves totaled 24 points, albeit in a losing cause.

Crew Chief Tony Brothers explained the controversial ejection and what warranted the calls for Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt. Brothers said that Doncic was given his first technical foul by J.T. Orr because he had directed profanity at a game official.

Brothers said that the second technical resulting in his ejection from the game was because Doncic had "looked directly at an offical and used vulgar language."

Vanderbilt, meanwhile, was called for a technical foul because he had stepped towards and verbally taunted a player while the ball was dead.

The loss for the Lakers was their fifth in 10 games, falling to the Chicago Bulls (twice), Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and the Thunder.

The loss to the Thunder comes after the Lakers had beaaten OKC 126-96 on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points in the first game but took it up a signifcant notch Tuesday, scoring 42 points and registering six assists and as many rebounds.

The Thunder are atop the Western Conference, sitting above the Houston Rockets at two and the Lakers at three. The LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors round out the top six as the regular season winds to a close.

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LA Lakers looks to soldify third place with three games left in the season

The LA Lakers will get back to business on Wednesday as they face the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic will be even more motivated to return to Dallas after his ejection.

He had spent the first six yeas of his career in Dallas before being traded to Los Angeles earlier this season. The Lakers then close the regular season against the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers.