WATCH: Fred VanVleet pushes Tari Eason aside for technical free-throw as Rockets succumb to Lakers
The Houston Rockets were trailing by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers and Fred VanVleet made sure they maximize all the chances they got to chase the huge lead. As the game heated up, technical fouls were being handed by the referee and VanVleet wanted to shoot all of them.
With 8:35 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Cam Reddish bumped into Tari Eason and said something that resulted in an altercation.
As the exchange escalated to a battle of words, Eason was being checked by Taurean Prince to keep him away from Reddish while Alperen Sengun did his part in cooling down his teammate.
After the dust settled, Reddish was given a technical foul, Ime Udoka was ejected, and LeBron James was also handed a tech.
With a small window to chase the Lakers, Tari Eason wanted to do his part by shooting technical free throws but was set aside by the former Wichita State Shocker.
Fred VanVleet was not taking any risks as Eason has struggled throughout the season, shooting only 42.9% from the free throw stripe. On the other hand, the six-foot guard boasted better chances with his free throws averaging 87% over his eight-year NBA career.
The Lakers won the game 107-97.
Fred VanVleet scores 22 but Houston Rockets suffer third-straight loss
It has been a tough stretch for the Houston Rockets as they have lost their last three games and now own a losing record of 8-9. The most recent loss came against the LA Lakers on the road, with the final score settling at 97-107.
Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds while getting help from Alperen Sengun who had 21 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
Tari Eason came off the bench with six points and seven rebounds but was not much of a factor during the game.
On the other side, Anthony Davis dominated with 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks while Austin Reaves came off the bench with 18 points. LeBron James struggled shooting 7-of-17 from the field but was able to chip in 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
The Houston Rockets will return to the Toyota Center with a chance to stop the bleeding by hosting the OKC Thunder on Dec. 6. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers improved to 12-9 and will be battling the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament on Dec. 5.