The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t immediately leave the floor after their Game 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
First, they met with the officials in the middle of the court. Austin Reaves led a discussion with the refs.
It’s not something you see every day.
Austin Reaves and the Lakers just had a meeting with the refs after the game to share their frustration with them. pic.twitter.com/exHIVkrese
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 8, 2026
The Thunder had just rolled to a 125-107 win to take a 2-0 series lead, and the Lakers clearly weren’t happy.
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Why did the Lakers meet with the refs after Game 2?
Clearly, the Lakers weren’t pleased with the calls that the Thunder got relative to them.
On paper, the free throw disparity was relatively even: 26 for OKC, 21 for L.A.
But after the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick was saying things like, “LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” and, “They have a few guys that foul on every possession… they’re hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul and they do foul.”
The Thunder’s superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has often been called a “foul merchant” for his ability to earn whistles. While drawing fouls is a skill, it can certainly be frustrating for the defensive team.
OKC has a tough, physical defense that toes the line of fouling versus just being physical. Their other offensive players have also learned a few lessons from SGA, it seems.
It’s not that the Thunder are inherently doing anything wrong, but the Lakers clearly are frustrated.