WATCH: LeBron James gets whacked in the back of his head by Lu Dort, refs don't call flagrant
LeBron James got hit in the head by Lu Dort during the LA Lakers' win over the OKC Thunder on Monday at the Crypto.com Arena. James and the Lakers are trying to bounce back against the No. 1 team in the West after losing to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
In the video below, James had the ball and was trying to initiate the offense at the top of the arc. He drove to his left after Anthony Davis set a screen on Dort with around four minutes left in the third quarter. Chet Holmgren stopped "The King" from his tracks as Dort tried to recover.
The Thunder swingman tried to swipe the ball from James but smacked the four-time NBA champion's head instead. The referees called Dort for a personal foul, while Lakers coach Darvin Ham argued that it should have been a flagrant foul.
Here's the video:
Some may argue that it should have been a flagrant foul because it was an unnecessary contact by Lu Dort on LeBron James. However, the officials ruled it as a regular foul, possibly because Dort was just trying to swipe the ball from "The King."
Nevertheless, the hit did not affect James and the Lakers. They maintained their lead over the OKC Thunder and took a 116-104 win. It was the Lakers' third win of the season against the Thunder, which meant that they won the season series.
It also means the Lakers have the Thunder's number this season, which bodes well as a potential first-round matchup for the lower seed. Oklahoma City is still No. 1 in the West, while the Lakers are a potential No. 8 seed if they win the Play-In Tournament.
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LeBron James posts near triple-double in win over Thunder
LeBron James almost had a triple-double on Sunday against the OKC Thunder. James had 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the LA Lakers won the season series 3-1. Anthony Davis added 24 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell had a game-high 26 points.
Austin Reaves put up 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Taurean Prince scored 14 points off the bench. However, it's the defense that proved to be key for the Lakers. They limited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 20 points, with Jalen Williams only scoring seven.
The Lakers continue their six-game homestand on Wednesday when they welcome the Sacramento Kings. They then face the red-hot Milwaukee Bucks before ending their homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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