Another Los Angeles Lakers game, another pair of ejections. Only this time, it wasn’t players. In the middle of overtime in the Lakers’ 124-116 win over the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James began talking with an official and gesturing to two fans sitting courtside.
After a brief discussion, security was called over and escorted the fans out of their seats. As they left, one of them made a pouting face and crybaby motion in LeBron’s direction.
It’s not entirely clear what got LeBron upset. There was no obvious incident like throwing an object or coming on the court, so you’d have to guess that one of the fans said something. If you watch the possession before LeBron talks to the refs, he is standing on that side of the court while guarding Domantas Sabonis and is only a few feet away from the fans who ended up getting tossed — circled here in red.
Again, we don’t know exactly what happened, but this certainly wouldn’t be the first instance of fans saying something inappropriate.
In any case, this was an impressive night from LeBron. Coming off a one-game suspension for hitting Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, and with Anthony Davis sidelined due to an illness, LeBron stepped up to deliver his best performance of the season.
He finished with a season-high 39 points, five rebounds, six assists and two blocks. What’s more, he came up with some big plays down the stretch in regulation and in overtime. He scored seven straight points in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Lakers came back from a 12-point deficit to force OT. Then, in the extra frame, he outscored the Pacers by himself, 8-4.
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The Lakers are now back to .500 at 10-10 thanks to the win over the Pacers. That’s obviously not where they want to be, but it’s worth noting they are 6-3 with LeBron in the lineup.