"Luka Doncic might get ejected tonight" - Lakers fans outraged as Tony Brothers assigned to officiate crucial Game 3 vs Timberwolves
The LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves will play a pivotal Game 3 on Friday at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With both teams splitting the first two games, this matchup will be crucial in determining the eventual winner of this tightly contested series.
To make matters more interesting, the NBA has announced that veteran official Tony Brothers will be the crew chief for this pivotal showdown.
Lakers fans appear dismayed, claiming Brothers might not be an impartial official, especially against Luka Doncic.
"Luka might get ejected tonight," one fan said.
"Luka tech locked in," another fan tweeted.
"Luka ejection by halftime," a fan commented.
Meanwhile, other LA fans shared predictions on who would win Game 3 based on who the crew chief is.
"(Austin Reaves) will score 38 tonight and will send Timberwolves back to the holes from where they came from," one fan posted.
"Put your parlay on the Wolves. We all know who's winning it now," another fan wrote.
"Ya were cooked, let’s focus on Game 4 guys," a fan tweeted.
Aside from Brothers, the officiating crew will consist of Mark Lindsay as the referee and Gediminias Petraitis as the umpire.
Game 1 between LA and Minnesota was officiated by Marc Davis, Brian Forte and Tyler Ford. Game 2's crew consisted of James Capers, Ben Taylor and Justin Van Duyne.
Also read: LA Lakers make decision on Rui Hachimura's status ahead of crucial Game 3 vs Timberwolves
Luka Doncic led the Lakers in scoring through the first two games of the playoffs
Luka Doncic has already established himself as a reliable postseason performer, even during his Dallas Mavericks days. He did not disappoint the LA Lakers fans, who hoped to see the same from him on his first postseason trip with his new team.
Last Saturday in Game 1, the Slovenian superstar put up a game-high 37 points while going 12-for-22 (5-for-10 from downtown). He also grabbed eight rebounds but registered only one assist. Despite his performance, the Timberwolves took Game 1, 117-95.
Determined not to fall into a 2-0 hole, Doncic amped up his performance for Game 2 on Tuesday. He once again scored a game-high 31 points on a 9-for-20 shooting clip. He finished with 12 rebounds and was one dime shy of getting a triple-double. LA won 94-85.
With the series shifting to Minnesota, the Lakers no longer have home-court advantage, and fans are waiting to see if Doncic will perform similarly.