Lakers question officiating after Game 2 loss: ‘I felt disrespected’

The Lakers are heading home down 0-2. They are also not happy with the whistle.

Frustration spilled over after a 125-107 loss to the Thunder in Game 2, with multiple players lingering at midcourt to talk with officials. Austin Reaves was the most direct.

“At the end of the day, we’re grown men and I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that,” Reaves said, via The Associated Press. “I told him that. I wasn’t disrespectful. I told him if I did that to him first, I would’ve gotten a tech.”

Reaves said the moment came during a jump ball, when he felt things crossed a line.

“I feel like the only reason I didn’t get a tech was because he knew he was in the wrong,” he said. “I felt disrespected.”

Reaves was not alone. Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes each finished with five fouls, and the Lakers as a group voiced concerns about how the game was called.

Coach JJ Redick took it a step further.

He questioned how LeBron James is being officiated and made it clear he does not believe Oklahoma City needs any help.

The Thunder attempted 26 free throws. The Lakers had 21. Not a massive gap, but enough to draw attention in a game that slipped away.

The bigger issue is the series. The Lakers now head back to Los Angeles down 0-2, searching for answers. Officiating is part of the conversation. It is not the only one.

Game 3 is Saturday.