Ja Morant left Crypto.com Arena with more than a win over the Lakers on his mind. The Trail Blazers guard said he plans to challenge the flopping technical he was hit with in the fourth quarter of Portland’s victory, a call that came during a tight stretch and was one of three flopping whistles in the period.
The officiating crew tagged Morant, Portland’s Toumani Camara and Los Angeles’ Ziaire Williams with flopping technicals all in the fourth quarter. Per the play-by-play, Camara was called at 5:06, Morant at 3:49 and Williams at 3:36.
Morant’s whistle came while he was defending Lakers guard Austin Reaves on a drive with Portland holding a slim lead. Afterward, Morant said he had simply put his hands up and taken contact to the chest, and that he never hit the floor. He also said he would look to get the call overturned and estimated the fine attached to it at about $2,000, ESPN reported.
Portland saw the game turn into a parade to the line. The two teams combined for 71 free throws, with the Blazers taking 41 and the Lakers 30. Morant said Portland had started adjusting its defense to the way fouls were being called on drives, using its hands to show that the ball handler was the one initiating contact.
Blazers coach Micah Nori also pushed back on the call, noting how infrequently the league actually penalizes the infraction. He said there were "27 flops called last year in 2,000 games total" and described it as a league point of emphasis.
Damian Lillard, who finished with 21 points and buried a late 3-pointer to help put the game away, said players often try to sell contact throughout games. His view was that officials should reserve the call for obvious flops, especially in a one-possession game. He also said the team was aware the league was focusing on the issue.
Scott Foster, Che Flores and Nate Cearley worked the game.
Morant delivered a season-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added four assists in 31 minutes. Deni Avdija matched him with 23 points and had nine assists, while Camara chipped in 12 points with four made 3-pointers.
On the other side, Luka Doncic powered the Lakers with 41 points and nine assists, and Reaves added 26 points.
Portland improved to 3-0 with the win, while Los Angeles dropped to 3-1. The Blazers are back home Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies at 10 p.m.
ET at Moda Center, then head to Utah to face the Jazz on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
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