Devin Booker # 1 of the Phoenix Suns scores a layup over Dennis Schroder # 17 of the Los Angeles Lakers as LeBron James # 23 and Markieff Morris # 88 watch in the second quarter at the Staples Center on March 2, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How / Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers played an extremely competitive basketball game on Tuesday night. It was fun to watch and featured a few high level games in half.
Unfortunately, the game reached a certain point in the second half, where the officials decided they had arrived.
Shortly after both Lakers LeBron James and Frank Vogel were offered techniques in the third quarter, Suns All-Star goalie Devin Booker was sent off after being awarded two.
At this point, it was unclear what had happened.
The TNT broadcast showed Booker receiving a technical foul and then leaving the floor. Soon word spread that Booker had been kicked out, to the dizziness of the commentary team covering the game off-site, and everyone was watching.
After a commercial break, TNT found the video showing Booker receiving two back-to-back techniques. The former seemed quite ordinary, with Booker expressing frustration at the work done by the officials. Booker then rolled a pass to a referee and quickly received his second technique after that.
It is unclear whether or not Booker was thrown more for the permit or what he said. Regardless of the fact that, for a tight game played at a high level, eliminating a star player is extremely problematic and bad for the game.
Referees will speak to a reporter at the pool after the match to discuss the ejection.
Booker was the best player on the purple floor before he was sent off. He finished the night with 17 points at 7-of-12, three rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Despite the fact that Booker’s ejection was an obvious point where the momentum of the game could change, the Suns continued to pass and ended up beating the Lakers 114-104.