Was it intentional or just an accident?
This became the hot topic in the NBA after Deandre Ayton of the Los Angeles Lakers was tossed during the third quarter of Game 4, where the Houston Rockets triumphed 115-96 at Toyota Center on Sunday night.
Ayton claimed it was a mishap—his forearm inadvertently hit his own head while attempting a play. He acknowledged it was a hard foul, but questioned whether ejection was the right call. Many observers didn’t agree with referee James Williams’ assessment.
In a previous game, Williams had already stirred controversy by issuing a technical foul to Devin Booker after a ball accidentally struck a Thunder player.
“In 11 years, I’ve never called a ref by name, but James [Williams]… It was awful all night,” Booker expressed post-game, emphasizing how it tarnished the game’s integrity.
The NBA later overturned that technical foul, but the fallout lingered.
During Sunday’s game, replays revealed Ayton’s tackle was clumsy rather than malicious. He initially seemed to attempt a block on Alperen Sengun before shifting to a defensive stance, resulting in an unintentional hit to Sengun’s face. Slow-motion footage only intensified the visual impact, but it didn’t quite feel deliberate, both in real-time and in review.
Ayton stated, “I was just trying to prepare for contact… I slipped. I know it looked bad, but I’m not a dirty player. I just hope he’s okay.” This was notably his first ejection in eight seasons, leaving both him and his teammates in disbelief.
Marcus Smart described the call as “disgusting.”
LeBron James was equally vocal about his frustration. “I know what I saw,” he said. “His arm slipped… It takes a lot of skill to do that intentionally.”
Sengun, who took a hit as well, seemed surprised by the ruling. “I didn’t expect him to get sent off. That was naive,” he commented.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka echoed this sentiment, admitting his surprise at the call, suggesting the league has become slightly softer over the years.
Lakers coach JJ Redick went even further, defending Ayton as a “kind soul” who did not engage in dirty play. “He was trying to brace himself, and his arm slipped,” he assessed. “I don’t think that was a guaranteed flagrant two.”
Throughout the night, Williams made additional controversial calls, ejecting Lakers rookie Adu Tiello and Rockets guard Aaron Holiday for physical interactions that seemed more deliberate than Ayton’s incident.
Post-game, Redick remarked that the rationale provided wasn’t compelling enough for Tiello. “I’m sure James [Williams] will have something to say,” he added.
LeBron echoed the confusion and frustration in his comments. “I’m more upset that they got rid of Adu. I thought it was unfair; it didn’t make any sense. It was ridiculous,” he remarked.
Game 5 of the Rockets vs. Lakers series is set for Wednesday at 7 PM PT on ESPN.
