In a heated Game 2 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers had a fiery exchange with referee John Goble. Tensions rose during a jump ball when Goble yelled at Reaves for allegedly causing trouble. After the Thunder scored a three-pointer, Reaves confronted Goble during a timeout, expressing his anger about being yelled at. He was restrained by teammate Luka Doncic but later approached Goble again after the Lakers' 125-107 loss, reiterating that he felt disrespected and that he wouldn't have received the same treatment had he yelled at the official. The game was marked by physical play, including a flagrant foul on Reaves by Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which drew criticism from former NBA player Eddie Johnson, who labeled it a dangerous maneuver. Gilgeous-Alexander later stated that he did not intend to harm Reaves during the incident.