HOUSTON — Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton found himself heading to the locker room early during Sunday night’s playoff matchup with the Houston Rockets after officials determined he made excessive contact with an opponent’s face.
The incident occurred with approximately 5½ minutes remaining in the third quarter when Ayton struck Rockets player Alperen Sengun in the face using his elbow and forearm as Sengun moved toward the basket with possession of the ball. Officials initially called a standard foul but decided to review the play.
Following the review, referees upgraded the call to a flagrant foul 2, which carries an automatic ejection. The official making the announcement described the contact as “unnecessary and excessive.”
At the time of Ayton’s removal from the game, the Lakers were trailing 76-57, despite holding a commanding 3-0 advantage in the playoff series. Ayton had been performing well for Los Angeles, recording a team-high 19 points along with 10 rebounds before his early departure from the contest.
